The affluent society - section 1 - 1951 - 1964 Flashcards
1
Q
What were the Conservative Domestic Policies?
A
- belief of mixed economy
- support NHS
- avoid mass unemployment
- build 300,000 houses per year
- tripartite schooling system
- clean air act 1956
- the homicide act 1957
- wolfenden commission
2
Q
What was the tripartite schooling system 1944?
A
- grammar schools
- technical schools
- secondary modern
3
Q
Who set up the tripartite system?
A
Butler
4
Q
What was the aim of the clean air act 1956?
A
to prevent smog
5
Q
What was the homicide act 1957?
A
restricted when the death penalty could be implemented
6
Q
What was the wolfenden commission?
A
Suggested homosexuality was not a criminal act
7
Q
What were the reasons for conservative fall from power?
A
- Concerns over the economy
- Suez Crisis
- Rejection of EEC application
- Night of the long knives
- Appeared out of date
- Spy Scandals (profumo affair)
- Macmillan became seriously ill
- Strong opposition
8
Q
What was the night of the long knives?
A
Macmillan radically reshuffled the cabinet, sacking 1/3 of ministers and looking clumsy
9
Q
When was the night of the long knives?
A
1962
10
Q
What were the features of the Post War Consensus?
A
- Broad lines of convergence
- Mixed economy
- National unity and co-operation
- Big government
- Maintain full employment
- Work with trade unions
- Expansion of welfare state
- Military defense
- Nuclear Weapon programmes
11
Q
Who were the two key figures of Bustkellism?
A
Rab Butler (conservative) and Hugh Gaitskell (labour)
12
Q
When was Harold Macmillan in power?
A
1957 - 1963
13
Q
What were the four S’s of conservative fall?
A
- Sums
- Sacking
- Sickness
- Spies
14
Q
What year was full employment reached?
A
1955
15
Q
Why did wages rise?
A
From low levels of unemployement
16
Q
How many more goods were imported than 1951?
A
29%
17
Q
What was The National Economic Development Council?
A
Long term planning for the economy caused by stop-go economics
18
Q
What was the job of the national income commission?
A
To watch wages and prices
19
Q
When was the national incomes commission set up?
A
1962
20
Q
By what percent did car ownership increase?
A
25%
21
Q
What were signs of positive economic development?
A
- Food rationing came to an end
- Acceleration in population
- Increased overseas trade
- Highest income per head globally (apart form USA)
- Larger consumer demand
- Increased home ownership
22
Q
What did the end of food rationing allow?
A
Higher standards of living
23
Q
What were signs of negative economic development?
A
- Inflation from wage increase higher than production increase
- Rising cost of public services
- ‘stop - go’ economics
- ‘pay pause’
- Rejection to EEC
- Wage inflation
24
Q
What was the issue with Europe’s rapid economic growth?
A
It was leaving Britain behind
25
What was the Beecking report?
Recommended cuts in rail networks resulting in the closure of 30+
26
What are the 2 key strategies of stop-go economics?
- Wage control
| - Interest control
27
Describe the cycle of stop-go economics
STOP
- imports exceed exports and balance of payments
- government controls high interest and wages are frozen
- demand falls
- output decreases
GO
- controls removed
- increase in demand
- rising imports
28
What does high interest and frozen wages do?
Encourages saving rather than spending
29
What is Keynesian economics?
Big Government Intervention
30
What was Run On The Pound?
The value of currency dramatically falls making it look very weak
31
What was the ownership rise of Fridges?
58%
32
What was the ownership rise of washing machines?
54%
33
How many people holidayed to Butlins every week?
60,000
34
What percentage of the population could afford to travel abroad?
2%
35
When was the EEC application rejected?
1963
36
When were the first talks of joining the EEC?
1961
37
Who were the main two figures in Labour Disunity?
- Aneurin (Nye) Bevan (left labour)
| - Hugh Gaitskell (right labour)
38
What did the left-wingers want from the labour party?
They wanted it to be socialist
39
What was the CND?
Campaign for nuclear disarmament
40
Who was Frank Cousins?
Leader of the most powerful trade union (TGWU)
41
What did Gaitskell try to abolish?
Clause IV
42
What was Clause IV?
Committed the labour party to nationalisation
43
When were prescription charger introduced?
1951
44
What does unilateral mean?
Without any other country
45
What doe TGWU stand for?
Transport and general workers union
46
When was Macmillan's 'Never had it so good' speech?
1957
47
What did the 1951 manifesto promise?
To build 300,000 houses a year
48
What was the Tripartite system of schools from?
Butler Act of 1944
49
What was the Tripartite system?
- Grammar schools
- Technical schools
- Secondary modern schools
50
What did the housing and factories act aim to do?
Improve living and working conditions
51
What was the festival Britain 1951?
Felt on the edge of a new modern world
52
What was the average age of marriage?
21
53
What percent of women were married?
75%
54
In 1951 how many women went to work?
1 in 5
55
What was family allowance?
A payment to women to ensure they didn't need to work
56
What was the welfare state based on?
The nuclear family and full male employment.
57
What were the benefits to teenagers of domestic appliance ownership?
Teenage girls did not need to stay at home with their mothers all the time as they didn't have to hand wash and buy perishable food everyday
58
What did boys not need to do after 1960?
Participate in national service
59
How many teenagers were discovered in 1959 from a survey?
5 million - 10% of the population from the baby boom
60
Who were the teddy boys?
Sub-culture of teenagers who listened to rock n' roll wearing edwardian drapesuits
61
Who were the Rockers?
A sub-culture of teenagers who wore leather and rode motor bikes
62
What is national service?
Standardised conscription
63
What were two new towns created?
- Harlow
| - Kirby
64
What was the rise in mens weekly wages?
£8.30 (1951) t0 £15.35 (1961)
65
What year did food rationing end?
1954
66
What was the rise of TV ownership between 1957-1959?
32%
67
How many TV sets were there in 1960?
10 million
68
What did the rise in car ownership cause?
Greater demand for roads
69
How many percent of people watched TV in the evenings?
50% of the population
70
What was the increase of Car Ownership between 1957-1959?
25%
71
When did the first construction of a motorway begin and what was it called?
1958 Preston Bypass
72
Between 1957 - 1963 how many miles of roads had been upgraded?
1200
73
What were the statistics of the 1951 election?
- 65% working-class labour voters
| - 80% middle class conservative voters
74
When did the gradual breakdown of social restrictions begin?
Late 1950s
75
What did the Suez crisis expose?
Governments lying and manipulation
76
The establishment were less followed, who were they?
- Aristocracy
- Bishops
- Politicians
- Civil servants
- Diplomats
77
Between 1951 - 1964 what was the conservative government dominated by?
Establishment
78
What did the domination fo establishment show?
Lack of social mobility
79
Who were the 'angry young men'?
A group of 1950s writers who used the arts to attack the establishment
80
What was the play 'look back in anger'?
A play written by John Osborne in 1956 which was very controversial however was described as 'the best young play of its decade'
81
What did the arrival of the commonwealth immigration cause?
Social change and tension
82
What did the 1953 coronation cause internationally?
Enthusiasm for the common ideal
83
How many commonwealth immigrants were there in 1958?
210,000
84
What percent of immigrants were male?
75%
85
How many Brits left to live abroad?
1.32 million
86
Who were the Nottingham Gangs?
In August 1958, a group of white youths called themselves the 'nigger hunters' to hunt immigrants
87
What were the key foreign policy priorities for Britain?
- Atlantic Alliance
- Maintain and improve relationships with the USA and Europe
- Improve trading communities
- Improve commonwealth to maintain internationally powerful
- Develop 3rd world countries with the Commonwealth
- Create a better relationship between Europe and USa
88
What was the 1957 Treaty of Rome?
Created the EEC
89
What countries were in the EEC?
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Benelux
90
What were the Benelux countries?
- Belgium
- The Netherlands
- Luxembourg
91
What were the key principles of the EEC?
- Creation of common market
- Adoption of common agriculture policy
- Adoption of protectionist policy
92
What were the reasons Britain did not join the EEC?
- Wanted to remain an independent world power
- Maintain trade links in Australia, Canada and New Zealand as considered them more important
- Wanted to balance involvement in Europe and 'special relationship' with USA
- Believed they won the war and didn't need anyone else's help
93
Who blocked Britain's application to join the EEC?
President de Gaulle
94
Why did President de Gaulle block Britain's entry in 1963?
- Worried about relations with US
- Thinks USA will try and control Europe through Britain
- Doesn't like relationship with the commonwealth (can't prioritise Europe)
- Worried Britain would take control
- Would bring 6 other countries and outnumber France's influence
95
What were the positives in relationship with the USA?
- Protection
- Nuclear weapons
- Remained united in opposing communism
- Cuban missile crisis alliance
- Macmillan had a good relationship with Kennedy
96
What were the negatives of the relationship with USA?
- Burgess and Maclean affair made USA not trust Britain (joined USSR and were working in British secret affairs)
- USA opposed the Suez Crisis
97
What were is are the 6 steps of the Suez Crisis?
- Egypt wanted to Nationalise the Suez canal
- USA and Britain form a union to pressure Nasser into changing his mind
- Britain and France refer the issue to the UN Security Council
- Britain and France have an invasion plan with Israel
- UN enter emergency debate
- USSR interferes and threatens Britain with bombs to get out
98
What was the British Empire?
The UK and territories under its control
99
What is the Commonwealth of nations?
A voluntary association of independent nations and dependent territories linked by historical ties of the British empire
100
What was the EFTA?
European Free Trade Association - to compete with the EEC
