Eisenhower Domestic (No Civil Rights) Flashcards
How much more disposable income did people have?
30%
How many McDonalds were there by 1960?
228
What was the population increase between 1950 and 1960?
151mil to 180mil
How many babies were born between 1945-64?
76 million
How much was the baby industry worth?
$10 billion
What was the average family income?
5250
What is the name of houses built in the suburbs?
Levittowns
How much was a Levittown house?
$8,000 (2 1/2 times income)
What did Levittowns promote?
White flight
What are some examples of rules in Levittowns?
mowing lawn regularly, no fences, no washing out on weekends
What did people need to buy with Levittown houses?
Kitchens, furnishings etc
Who was allowed in Levittowns?
White people only
How many service workers were there?
7.6 million
What were lots of service workers made of?
Teenagers (have spending money, new industry on teenage interests)
How big was Eisenhower’s majority?
226 electoral college votes
What was Eisenhower’s main policy?
Dynamic conservatism. Conservative with money, liberal with people
What cuts did Eisenhower make?
defence cuts
What was the minimum wage increase? When?
1955 75 cents to $1
How many people were added to social security benefits in 1954?
10 million
What was Eisenhower criticised for being?
a do-nothing leader
What vaccine was brought in? How many americans had it killed in 1952?
polio 57,000
How many americans still admired McCarthy in 1954?
0.5
How did the downfall of McCarthy happen?
Nixon asks Lyndon Johnson to help produce TV show trials which puts McCarthy under pressure so he drinks more (alcoholic). He targets the army who can’t go to court due to state secrets so he is live on tv with no witnesses drunk. Trial April-June 1954.
How many new homes were built between 1948 and 1958? How many were in the suburbs?
13mil, 11mil in suburbs
What did Levittown’s have in them?
village greens, shopping centres, swimming pools, bowling alleys
How many new cars were manufactured in 1955?
7.9 million
How many cars, on average, were scrapped each year in the 50s?
4.5 million
How many workers were not engaged in manual labour by 1960?
21.2 million
What was the favourite leisure activity for over 50% of americans?
watching tv
How much was spent on advertising in 1950 and 1960?
1950- $5.7bil 1960- $11.9bil
How much did private debt grow to by 1960? Why was this?
$104.8 bil to $263.3bil because of the launching of credit cards
How many americans still lived in poverty? What was their income?
25% with an income under $3000 for a family of 4
How many americans were unemployed in 1958?
5 million
What were the employment rates?
Consistently 55-60%
How was the interstate funded?
There was a tax of 3 cents per gallon of petrol
How did the interstate help the economy?
it meant people could travel for jobs and live in the suburbs and new businesses could be made like motels and fast food chains
How did the consumer society help the US on a world stage?
showed their economic superiority- superpower status. Kitchen debate- Khrushchev demanded a rapid increase in the production of consumer goods after seeing the US
