Political and Domestic Problems Flashcards
How high was unemployment in 1950?
5%
When did Truman’s 21 point programme get presented to congress?
6th September 1945
At what did Truman introduced the revised measures of the 21 point programme that got known as his fair deal?
The State of the Union Address
When was the State of The Union Address at which point Truman announced the fair deal?
January 1949
How much was the proposed Tax Increase as to pay for the policies suggested in the fair deal?
$4 Billion
By 1953, how many Americans were employed?
62 Million
By how much did Employment grow under Truman?
11 million
How many Veterans took advantage of the GI Bill?
7.8 million
How many homes a year did William J. Levitt make?
1.5 million
What percentage of Americans were living in poverty in 1949?
33%
What percentage of Americans were living in poverty in 1952?
28%
In what year were 33% of Americans living in poverty?
1949
In what year were 28% of Americans living in poverty?
1952
Domestic Problems (4)
- Following WW2 there was an increased birth rate. (3)
- Government demand for war materials over. (3)
- Unemployment (4)
- Why was Truman not able to give returning GI’s (veterans) everything they wanted? (4)
Domestic Problems (4)
1. Following WW2 there was an increased birth rate. (3)
a. Women had to increasingly stay at home to look after children.
b. Increased demand for housing in the suburbs.
c. Increased pressure in the school system.
Domestic Problems (4)
2. Government demand for war materials over. (3)
a. Jobs were threatened.
b. Economy adapted to some extent.
c. Factories changed what they produced to serve new market for consumer goods. (3)
Domestic Problems (4)
2. Government demand for war materials over. (3)
c. Factories changed what they produced to serve new market for consumer goods. (3)
i. Clothing
ii. Cars
iii. Household appliances
Domestic Problems (4)
3. Unemployment (4)
a. Rose to 5% by 1950
b. Those worst affected were minority groups and women.
c. They received little protection from trade unions.
d. Trade unions had been finding themselves increasingly under pressure for their left-wing sympathies.
Domestic Problems (4)
4. Why was Truman not able to give returning GI’s (veterans) everything they wanted? (4)
a. They want jobs houses, cars, good food, and product, go on like before.
b. Everything they have not been able to have during war.
c. Because he has to do so much.
d. There was not much post-war planning because all the economists thought that it would take longer but the atomic bomb ended it.
The Fair Deal (5)
- Truman’s 21-Point Programme (4)
- Truman’s State of the Union Address (5)
- A couple of Fair Deal Measures. (4)
- Gen why did his programme work out like that and to what extent? (2)
- Social and Economic Progress Under Truman (8)
The Fair Deal (5)
1. Truman’s 21-Point Programme (4)
a. Presented to Congress on 6th September 1945
b. Incorporated economic and social measures to tackle domestic problems.
c. He wanted the legislature to be drafted and passed.
d. Few measures actually passed owing to conservative majority in Congress. (1)
The Fair Deal (5)
1. Truman’s 21-Point Programme (4)
d. Few measures actually passed owing to conservative majority in Congress. (1)
i. Republicans and Dixiecrats disapprove.
The Fair Deal (5)
2. Truman’s State of the Union Address (5)
a. Address in January 1949
b. He was sustained high (emotionally) by legitimacy of victory in previous year’s election.
c. Stated that every part of population had the right to a fair deal from government.
d. Introduced a series of revised measures.
e. Became known as “The Fair Deal”.
The Fair Deal (5)
3. A couple of Fair Deal Measures. (4)
a. Life Based living: (8)
b. Money and stuff for me labourers. (4)
c. Civil rights legislation. (3)
d. A $4 billion tax increase to reduce the national debt and finance these programs.
The Fair Deal (5)
3. A couple of Fair Deal Measures. (4)
a. Life Based living: (8)
i. Freely available universal health care, to be funded by payroll deductions.
ii. Federally financed low-cost housing
iii. ‘The redevelopment of large areas of the blighted and slum sections of our cities’
iv. Increased Social Security payments and extended coverage.
v. Federal aid to education
vi. Public Works Programme
vii. A permanent FEPC (Fair Employment Practices Committee)
viii. The establishment of a new Department of Welfare
The Fair Deal (5)
3. A couple of Fair Deal Measures. (4)
b. Money and stuff for me labourers. (4)
i. A minimum wage rise from 40 cents per hour to 75 cents.
ii. Guaranteed prices and crop insurance for farmers
iii. Tax cuts for low-income earners
iv. The repeal of the Taft–Hartley Act
The Fair Deal (5)
3. A couple of Fair Deal Measures. (4)
c. Civil rights legislation. (3)
i. The abolition of poll taxes
ii. Anti-lynching laws
iii. An immigration bill.
The Fair Deal (5)
4. Gen why did his programme work out like that and to what extent? (2)
a. Lacked the fierce economic necessity that had allowed Roosevelt to push through the ‘New Deal’.
b. It was never implemented comprehensively.
The Fair Deal (5)
5. Social and Economic Progress Under Truman (8)
a. Employment (4)
b. Income from agriculture, share dividends, and businesses were at all-time highs.
c. No bank had failed in nearly nine years.
d. Directly gov schemes relating to jobs (and not-jobs) (3)
e. Millions of new homes had been financed to be built through government programs. (2)
f. A start had been made in clearing inner city slums. (3)
g. Poverty (3)
The Fair Deal (5)
5. Social and Economic Progress Under Truman (8)
a. Employment (4)
i. By 1953
ii. 62 million Americans were employed.
iii. Employment increased by 11 million under Truman.
iv. Unemployment was virtually zero.
The Fair Deal (5)
5. Social and Economic Progress Under Truman (8)
d. Directly gov schemes relating to jobs (and not-jobs) (3)
i. Minimum wage had been increased.
ii. Social Security benefits had been doubled.
iii. 7.8 million veterans had taken advantage of the GI Bill.
The Fair Deal (5)
5. Social and Economic Progress Under Truman (8)
e. Millions of new homes had been financed to be built through government programs. (2)
i. William J. Levitt built 1.5 million homes a year, a policy aimed at addressing the growing demand for homes in the suburbs.
ii. Levitt’s homes were popular among those who believed that homeownership prevented communism.
The Fair Deal (5)
5. Social and Economic Progress Under Truman (8)
f. A start had been made in clearing inner city slums. (3)
i. Ironically this made housing worse for African Americans in the northern cities.
ii. The cleared slums were not replaced with affordable housing quickly enough.
iii. Caused rents to skyrocket.
The Fair Deal (5)
5. Social and Economic Progress Under Truman (8)
g. Poverty (3)
i. Poverty had been reduced.
ii. Percentage of Americans living in poverty fell from 33% in 1949…
iii. To 28% by 1952.
How high was inflation from 1925-1926?
25%
Between which years did inflation get to 25%
1925-1926
In 1946, what did Truman use to control prices?
Roosevelt’s Office of Price Administration
What does OPA stand for?
Office of Price Administration.
What was the Office of Price Administration first created?
1941
Can you name an act that assisted the creation and wok of labour unions?
The Wagner Act
When was the Wagner Act passed?
1935
In 1945 how many workers were unionised?
15 million
In which year were 15 million workers unionised?
1945
in 1945 what percentage of the non-agricultural workforce is unionised?
36%
Inflation (6)
- How did the relationship between Labour and Business change post 1945? (2)
- Tensions (4)
- Why did Truman allow some prices to rise? (3)
- Inflation in Post-War America (3)
- Truman’s Attempts to Combat Inflation (3)
- Union Power in Roosevelt Years (3)
Inflation (6)
1. How did the relationship between Labour and Business change post 1945? (2)
a. During WW2 Truman was controlling prices and wages but union leaders agreed to not strike because of war efforts. (1)
b. It was worse.
Inflation (6)
1. How did the relationship between Labour and Business change post 1945? (2)
a. During WW2 Truman was controlling prices and wages but union leaders agreed to not strike because of war efforts. (1)
i. Patriotism.
Inflation (6)
2. Tensions (4)
a. Why Workers wants were happening? (4)
b. What do workers want? (2)
c. Businessmen would absolutely not want this because they would lose out twice over. They would want the opposite. (1)
d. Truman grew impatient with both groups. (1)
Inflation (6)
2. Tensions (4)
a. Why Workers wants were happening? (4)
i. During war, tight lid on wages and process.
ii. It was fine during the war because it was the war but when it’s over, we want this to be better.
iii. Now strikes.
iv. Want to make up for all the years that was lost.
Inflation (6)
2. Tensions (4)
b. What do workers want? (2)
i. They want Truman to keep prices stable. Stop inflation.
ii. They want higher wages.
Inflation (6)
2. Tensions (4)
c. Businessmen would absolutely not want this because they would lose out twice over. They would want the opposite. (1)
i. Lower wages higher prices.
Inflation (6)
2. Tensions (4)
d. Truman grew impatient with both groups. (1)
i. Because higher prices and higher wages would lead to more inflation.
Inflation (6)
3. Why did Truman allow some prices to rise? (3)
a. Because all the businessmen want that for them.
b. He does want to hold them though because he has a large labour voting base.
c. He lets some prices rise and others he controls. (5)
Inflation (6)
3. Why did Truman allow some prices to rise? (3)
c. He lets some prices rise and others he controls. (5)
i. Looks like a weak move.
ii. Confusing.
iii. This ends to him losing campaign later as people blame him.
iv. “to err is to Truman” campaign slogan.
v. Some markets might be doing better than others so some businessowners are gonna be really irritated.
Inflation (6)
4. Inflation in Post-War America (3)
a. Federal government budget deficits.
b. Shortages of consumer goods
c. Inflation hit 25% during 1945-6
Inflation (6)
5. Truman’s Attempts to Combat Inflation (3)
a. Truman sought to combat inflation through continued use of Roosevelt’s Office of Price Administration (OPA) in 1946 (2)
b. Conservative Democrats and Republicans sought the restoration of free market forces.
c. OPA weakened, causing prices to rise spectacularly.
Inflation (6)
5. Truman’s Attempts to Combat Inflation (3)
a. Truman sought to combat inflation through continued use of Roosevelt’s Office of Price Administration (OPA) in 1946 (2)
i. Created in 1941 for during WW2.
ii. It established maximum prices and rents.
Inflation (6)
6. Union Power in Roosevelt Years (3)
a. Wagner Act (1935) and wartime demand for labour increased union power. (2)
b. In 1945, 15 million workers were unionised.
c. Around 36% of non-agricultural workforce unionised.
Inflation (6)
6. Union Power in Roosevelt Years (3)
a. Wagner Act (1935) and wartime demand for labour increased union power. (2)
i. Wagner Act was 1935 legislation.
ii. That assisted the establishment and work of labour unions.
When was the general motors strike?
December 1945
How many strikes were there in 1946?
4985
In 1946 how many workers went on strike?
4.6 million workers
During which year were there 4985 strikes involving 4.6 million workers?
1946
In 1946, how many working days were lost?
116 million
Can you give me a reason that 116 million working days being lost was actually very notable?
It was three times as big as the previous record