Standards of living 1961-1980 Flashcards
How much control had the top 1% gained over the economy in the 1940s and 1950s?
In 1949 the richest 1% controlled 21% of the economy whilst in 1956 it had risen to 27% showing rapidly increasing wealth divide.
How did the earnings of production workers and chief executives begin to change?
In 1968 a production worker on average earned $6’400 per year whilst a chief executive earned $157’000.
In 1978 this worsened with the average production worker earning $24’000 compared to $373’000 for a production worker.
How did African Americans fare worse regarding employment statistics?
It was normally incredibly difficult for them to get hired as white people were normally favored in the hiring process, once they were employed they also received far lower wages. For example, the average income of white family in 1960 was $5’800 whilst for a black family it was $3’300.
How did affirmative action emerge and what setbacks did it face?
It had been proposed by Roosevelt onwards but was slow to be implemented and often faced resentment from some sections of society, some people saw it being chosen for their race rather than their skill. However, it opened the for non white Americans to get into professions such as law, accountancy and university teaching.
How large was the Black middle class in 1970 and what were the demographics in the suburbs?
The Black middle class made up 27% of all black voters in 1970, non white Americans began to move into the suburbs but as a whole they were only a small percentage. 4% of Suburbs were now African American, meanwhile Hispanic groups continued to move into inner city areas such as Los Angeles. Native Americans tended to remain within Government relocation areas such as Pico Boulevard.
What was the situation regarding poverty in 1966?
About 12% of White people and 41% of Non-white people were living under the Government defined poverty line, the equivalent of a family of 4 living on an income of £3’000 a year. Many lived in inner city areas but there was still extreme poverty in some rural areas.
Why did inner city populations substantially increase during the 1950s?
Huge numbers of white families had moved out of the cities in favor of the suburbs which in turn meant that many people of color moved into the inner city areas.
What was the situation like in inner cities?
Much of inner city housing was subdivided and rented out, when the rents fell some landlords decided to fail on their repair duties and in some cases burn down their flats in order to claim insurance on them, the number of deliberate fires trippled. This can be shown by the census in which South Side Chicago had an increasing number of people living in housing units most of which needed repair on their plumbing.
What caused the situation in inner city areas to worsen?
Although some tried to improve their living situation many felt helpless and began to turn to crime and drugs. During the 1970s some inner city areas were in a downwards spiral such as the South Bronx which was a Hispanic ghetto, well over half of the families were on welfare.
What did the Housing Commissioner Roger Starr set out in 1974?
He established the policy of planned shrinkage in which subway stations, police stations, fire stations, hospitals and schools were all closed and was then branched out to other cities leaving people even worse off.
What did Kennedy propose to alleviate poverty and why was it limited?
He proposed the New Frontier which would be extensive federal intervention into poverty however, he was shot and therefore unable to do so.
How did Johnson implement his Great Society Program?
He set up an independent agency with over 130 staff and a budget of $960 million and they reported directly to him, he made it clear that poverty was the enemy not people.
How successful was the implementation of the Great Society Program?
Congress did not pass all bills that LBJ proposed however a significant number were passed which in turn meant that more people were covered by social welfare. The laws were well intentioned and wide reaching however, the scale of the problem was immense and although significant funding was allocated it was not enough.
How did Community Action Projects operate?
They were often organized by women and collected data on the biggest local problems and in turn presented projects to solve them. One successful project was in Memphis was focused on high levels of infant mortality and established a number of free clinics to provide care and advice after birth., the scheme was rolled out nationwide. However, the limited funding led to competition and racial clashes in Los Angeles.
What did the Kerner Commission state about the 1967 Inner city riots?
The report was published in February 1967 and came to the conclusion that the US moving towards two separate societies one black and one white separate and unequal and the only way to fix this is through cooperation and not blind repression. In Detroit alone 23 people died in the riots. The 1965 Watts riots saw 34 deaths and over 3’400 arrests.
