Post War Prosperity Flashcards
What was a fear that some returning veterans had?
That their jobs would be gone and that they would be unemployed.
When was the post-war recession?
1946-1947
What were some fears regarding the immediate post-war recession?
That it heralded the new Great Depression.
What was the name of Truman’s New Deal spin off policy?
The Fair Deal
What was the Gross National Product in 1940?
$200 thousand million
What was the Gross National Product in 1960?
$500 thousand million
What year was the Gross National Product $200 thousand million?
1940
What year was the Gross National Product $500 thousand million?
1960
Under Truman’s Government how much unemployment was there?
Never more than 5%, that’s for sure!
What happened to the number of automobiles annually produced from 1946-1955?
It quadrupled
Between which years did the annual number of automobiles produced quadruple?
1946-1955
How much does Britain owe in war loans?
$31 billion
How much does France owe in war loans?
$3.2 billion
How much does China owe in war loans?
$1.6 billion
Gen Post War (4)
- Fears About Post War Economy (6)
- Post-World War II Economic Growth in the U.S. (5)
- Sources of Economic Growth (3)
- The US and the global economy
Gen Post War (4)
1. Fears About Post War Economy (3/~4)
a. The war economy won’t last forever.
d. Truman wants to carry on the ideas of The New Deal calling his new policy The Fair Deal.
e. Truman and Congress took steps to address the economic downturn.
f. The Employment Act (2)
Gen Post War (4)
1. Fears About Post War Economy (6)
f. The Employment Act (2)
i. Created the Council of Economic Advisors
ii. Their job was to help Truman maximize national employment.
- Post-World War II Economic Growth in the U.S. (~4)
a. The U.S. experienced phenomenal economic growth in the decade and a half after World War II
b. Gross National Product (GNP) jumped from about $200 thousand million in 1940 to more than $500 thousand million in 1960.
c. The U.S. consolidated its position as the world’s richest country.
d. More and more Americans considered themselves part of the middle class.
e. Under the Truman Government unemployment was never higher than 5%.
- Sources of Economic Growth (3)
a. The automobile industry (1)
b. A housing boom (1)
c. The rise in defence spending as the Cold War escalated.
- Sources of Economic Growth (3)
b. A housing boom fuelled the expansion. (1)
i. Easily affordable mortgages for returning servicemen stimulated the housing boom.
- The US and the global economy
a. USA is the dominant force in the global economy at the end of WW2.
b. To retain this dominance, the USA needs to go back to peaceful trading with partners in Europe and the Pacific.
c. Growing Economies in Europe and Asia (4)
- The US and the global economy
c. Growing Economies in Europe and Asia (4)
i. Growing economies in Europe and Asia would allow countries to pay back war loans from the USA.
ii. Britain owes $31 billion.
iii. France owes $3.2 billion.
iv. China owes $1.6 billion.
What’s a merger?
i. Mergers refer to the combination of two or more companies into a single entity.
By what year did a majority of workers hold white-collar jobs?
1956
Specific People more direct Impact (3)
- Major Corporations in Post-World War II America (6)
- Workers in Post-World War II America (5)
- Farmers in Post-World War II America (4)
Specific People more direct Impact (3)
1. Major Corporations in Post-World War II America (6)
a. Major corporations in America grew even larger after 1945.
b. Earlier waves of mergers occurred in the 1890s and in the 1920s, and in the 1950s another wave occurred. (5)
c. New conglomerates led the way. (1)
d. International Telephone and Telegraph bought: (5)
e. Smaller franchise operations like McDonald’s fast-food restaurants provided still another pattern.
f. Large corporations also developed holdings overseas. (1)
Specific People more direct Impact (3)
1. Major Corporations in Post-World War II America (6)
b. Earlier waves of mergers occurred in the 1890s and in the 1920s, and in the 1950s another wave occurred. (5)
i. Mergers refer to the combination of two or more companies into a single entity. This is typically done to:
ii. Achieve economies of scale
iii. Reduce competition.
iv. Increase market share.
v. Gain access to new technologies or markets.
Specific People more direct Impact (3)
1. Major Corporations in Post-World War II America (6)
c. New conglomerates led the way. (1)
What are conglomerates?
i. Firms with holdings in a variety of industries
Specific People more direct Impact (3)
1. Major Corporations in Post-World War II America (6)
d. International Telephone and Telegraph bought: (5)
i. Sheraton Hotels
ii. Continental Baking
v. And many more…
Specific People more direct Impact (3)
1. Major Corporations in Post-World War II America (6)
f. Large corporations also developed holdings overseas. (1)
i. Labor costs were often lower in foreign countries.
Specific People more direct Impact (3)
2. Workers in Post-World War II America (5)
a. Workers found their own lives changing as industrial America changed.
b. Fewer workers produced goods, more provided services.
c. By 1956, a majority held white-collar jobs. Eg: (4)
d. Some firms granted a guaranteed annual wage, long-term employment contracts, and other benefits.
e. Changes in labour patterns (2)
Specific People more direct Impact (3)
2. Workers in Post-World War II America (5)
c. By 1956, a majority held white-collar jobs. Eg: (4)
Obvs not straight memorisation but rather for the accuracy of the vibes given.
i. Corporate managers
ii. Teachers
iii. Salespersons
iv. Office employees.
Specific People more direct Impact (3)
2. Workers in Post-World War II America (5)
e. Changes in labour patterns (2)
i. Labour militancy was undermined.
ii. Some class distinctions began to fade.
Specific People more direct Impact (3)
3. Farmers in Post-World War II America (4)
a. Gains in productivity led to a trend toward larger and fewer farms, as smaller farms were consolidated or forced out of business by larger, more efficient operations.
b. Advances in technology (4)
c. Family farms found it difficult to compete.
d. More and more farmers left the land.
Specific People more direct Impact (3)
3. Farmers in Post-World War II America (4)
b. Advances in technology (4)
i. Such as introductions of new machines or fertiliser.
ii. Allowed more crops with less labour.
iii. Drives down prices.
iv. Greater supply led to lower demand.
By what year did California have more people than New York?
1963
Can you give one big example of a well-known housing developer of the time?
William J. Levitt
How many shopping centres were there at the end of WW1?
8
How many shopping centres were there in 1960?
3,840
By which year were there 3840 shopping centres?
1960
What year was the highway act passed?
1956
How much money did the highway act provide to build roads?
$26 thousand million
The purpose of The Highway Act was to build more than how much road?
more than 64,000 kilometres
Which Act:
i. Provided $26 thousand million.
ii. The largest public works expenditure in U.S. history.
iii. Purpose of funds: build more than 64,000 kilometres of federal roads to link together all parts of the country.
The Highway Act
How many car sales were there in 1946?
2.1 Million
In which year were there 2.1 Million car sales?
1946
How many car sales were there in 1955?
7.9 million
In which year were there 7.9 million car sales?
1955
In 1946, how many television sets were there in the country?
fewer than 17,000
In which year were there fewer than 17,000 television sets in the country?
1946