The Affluent Society 1951-1964 Flashcards
What were the elements of the Post war Consensus ?
-Economic growth
-Trade Unions
-The Mixed Economy
-The Welfare State
-Social Equality
What did Britain expect from its Govt in 1951 ?
-People expected a ‘big state’ with involvement in their daily lives because that is what they are used to after WW2
-Decent standard of living and care into old age because they expected reward for the hardships suffered in the 30s and 40s
What is Keynesian economics ?
Low tax and high rate of spending to grow the economy
Why did the Conservatives win in 1951 ?
-Labour weaknesses (prescription charges)
-Conservative Strengths
-Spy Scandals
Was Britain in the 1950s very class conscious ?
Yes
Were Trade Unions still in its infancy during the 1950s ?
No
Did Britain become less religious (as measured by church attendance) in the 1950s ?
Yes
Was Britain more socially conservative in the 1950s ?
Yes
Was Britain overwhelmingly white ?
Yes
What Electoral system is used in Britain ?
Fist-Past-The-Post
How many seats does a party need to win in order to secure a majority ?
326 seats or more
What is Electoral Bias ?
is where a voting system fails to treat all parties equally
When was the Representation of the Peoples act ?
1948
What did the Representation of the Peoples act do ?
-you could only vote once
-Boundary changes
What was an impact of the Representation of the Peoples act ?
-Boundary changes meant some labour seats became marginal and now needed 2% more of the vote to gain the same number of seats.
-Decline of the Liberal Party which meant there was no protest vote
Who was prime Minister from 1951-1955 ?
Churchill
Who was PM from 1955-57 ?
Eden
What ultimately caused disaster for Anthony Eden as Prime Minister ?
The Suez Crisis in 1956
Did The Suez crisis cause tension between the USA and Britain ?
Yes - Britain as forced to withdraw their troops from Suez by the USA or else they would not be able to gain financial help from the World bank situated in the USA
Who was PM from 1957-1963 ?
Macmillan (Super Mac)
Who was PM from 1963-64 ?
Lord Alec Douglas Home
Why did people not like Home ?
-he was chosen because of the “old boy network”
-Was a wealthy aristocrat
-He was a lord but the cons managed rot get him a seat in the commons
-The cons party seemed trapped in a bygone age
Who was Rab Butler ?
He played a key role in the reorganisation of the Conservative Party. “The best prime minister the conservatives never had”
What was Harold Macmillan’s famous phrase ?
‘Never had it so good’
By 1958 How many people were travelling abroad for their holidays ?
2million
What were the consequences of the Rent Act under Macmillan ?
Rent rose considerably, difficult for tenants at the lower end of the scale to afford lease
Did the population living in poverty increase under Macmillan ?
Yes (from 8% to 14%)
What was the increase in wages in 1957 ?
Increased by £10
How many homes did macmillan housing scheme promise to build annually ?
300,000
How many elections were there in the 1950s ?
4
Which PM won a 100 seat majority ?
harold Macmillan
The post war consensus was names after which Economist ?
Keynes