The Post-war period and the 'age of consensus'

Question 1

What are the dates of the post-war period ?

Answer 1

1945-1975 or 1979, depending of the election of Margaret Thatcher as leader of the Conservative party

Question 2

Who was Atlee ?

Answer 2

Atlee was the Prime Minister elected in 1945, he was the leader of the Labour Party

Question 3

What is the definition of a consensus ?

Answer 3

This is an agreement

Question 4

Which consensuses existed after WW2 ?

Answer 4

Between the two main parties (Labour and Conservatives); between trade unions and government ; between trade unions and employees; between all classes

Question 5

What was the main priority after WW2?

Answer 5

Unite and rebuild Britain

Question 6

People were …

Answer 6

EQUAL

Question 7

What happened during WW2 in Britain ?

Answer 7

Propaganda, children evacuating (no health, no clothes, no school)

Question 8

What pushed Atlee to create the Welfare state ?

Answer 8

The return of children after WW2

Question 9

Who was the PM during WW2 ?

Answer 9

Churchill

Question 10

Who was Chamberlain and what method did he use ?

Answer 10

He was a PM before the war and tried to appease the situation with Hitler by giving him what he wanted. He was from the Labour party

Question 11

What was the main issues before the war ?

Answer 11

Mass unemployment and poverty

Question 12

What happened in 1929 ?

Answer 12

Wall street crash

Question 13

On what report was based the Welfare state and to fight what ?

Answer 13

The Beveridge report to fight the five giants ( illness, squallor, idleness, poverty, ignorance)

Question 14

What is the National Insurance fund ?

Answer 14

It’s an policy that forces people to gave up a part of their salaries so the government could hand benefits for those who really needed it

Question 15

What is the family allowance acts ?

Answer 15

It was a policy that helped people who had children. The Government made sure they were fed and had clothes

Question 16

What is the national Whealth Service Act of 1946 ?

Answer 16

It guaranteed access to health care, anyone who needed medical attention could have it.

Question 17

What is the New Towns Act of 1946 ?

Answer 17

It’s a policy that allowed the government to build housing, big skycrapers.

Question 18

When the Wall Street crash happened

Answer 18

1929

Question 19

What are Keynes’ ideas

Answer 19

Mixed economy + involvement of government

Question 20

What are the positive effects of Keynes’ ideas ?

Answer 20

low unemployment rate (1-2%) + low rate inflation (4.5%) + growth of wages

Question 21

What are the negative effects of Keynes’ ideas ?

Answer 21

Higher taxes + higher interest rates + trade unnions too powerful

Question 22

What is the definition of ‘staglflation’ ?

Answer 22

This is a mix between the words stagnant and inflation that means that standard of living is higer because of higher wages but there is also a rise of prices. It happened in the1970’s

Question 23

What happened during the oil crisis ?

Answer 23

There were embargoes, price soared by 300%, inflation spiked from 9.2% in 1973 to 12.9% in 1974. The embargo was lifted in March 1974

Question 24

What were the consequences of the oil crisis ?

Answer 24

Electricity was rationed, there were frequent power cut and there was an enforced three-day working week. the GNP falls, unemployment grows by 3x, high inflation, lots of strikes

Question 25

When the UK attempted to get into the EU for the first time ?

Answer 25

In 1957

Question 26

In which year the UK tried again to get into the EU ?

Answer 26

In 1961 and 1967

Question 27

When was negotiated the rescue package and by who ?

Answer 27

In 1976 by James Callaghan

Question 28

What is the winter of discontent ?

Answer 28

lots of strikes + power cuts + too much inflation

Question 29

When did she start politics ?

Answer 29

At uni

Question 30

What is the name of the fierce campaign

Answer 30

‘Labour isn’t working’

Question 31

What is the motion tabled against James Callighan ?

Answer 31

It was the motion of no confidence in March 1979

Question 32

What are the ideas of Margaret Thatcher ?

Answer 32

Free market and little interventionism

Question 33

Who was she influence about ?

Answer 33

Milton Friedman and Alan Walters

Question 34

Socially, what is the point of view of MT ?

Answer 34

We’re talking about social morality : decriminalization of homosexuality and abortion but not promotion of homosexuality/sexuality in school.

Question 35

MT closed what ?

Answer 35

Coal pits

Question 36

MT slashed down what ?

Answer 36

the higher rate of taxation from 83% to 40% and for lower income to 25% (-2%)

Question 37

What is the poll tax ?

Answer 37

It’s a tax created by MT that citizens had to pay hen they lived in a property that they bought : everyone had the same rate, it xas unpopular

Question 38

What is the foreign policy applied by MT ?

Answer 38

Euroskepticm and atlanticism

Question 39

Which war caused the resignation of MT ?

Answer 39

The Falklands war

Question 40

Why did MT resigned ?

Answer 40

She was unpopular and rejected by members of her own party

Question 41

When did MT resign ?

Answer 41

in 1989 after three terms

Question 42

Who replaced MT ?

Answer 42

John Major

Question 43

What are the legacies of MT ?

Answer 43

Increased productivity + Economic boost + High rate of unemployment (3 million in 1983 and 1.6 million in 1989) + Broke the trade union culture + reduced welfare + increased social division