Economy after 1945 (College Board AP® US History): Flashcards
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Define GI Bill (1944).
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Cards in this collection (30)
Define GI Bill (1944).
The GI Bill (Servicemen's Readjustment Act) gave World War II veterans money for college, housing, and unemployment insurance.
What did the GI Bill give veterans who went to college?
It gave them money for tuition and living expenses, books and supplies, equipment, and counseling.
How did the GI Bill affect higher education?
Around 8 million veterans went to college or technical training, and college degrees doubled between 1940 and 1950.
How did GI Bill beneficiaries boost the economy?
They got good jobs and spent money, and many received government loans for homes, businesses, and farms.
True or False?
In the 1950s, Social Security benefits were extended to an additional 10 million Americans.
True.
Extending Social Security was one of three changes to existing government programs in the 1950s, alongside raising the minimum wage from $0.75 to $1.00 an hour and building more public housing.
What was Levittown?
Levittown was a suburban community outside urban centers with mass-produced, reasonably priced homes.
What did the Highway Act (1956) authorize?
It authorized 42,000 miles of interstate highways connecting all the country's major cities.
How did the highway system spur economic growth?
It boosted the construction, automotive, fuel, and transportation sectors and created tens of thousands of jobs.
True or False?
After World War II, factories abandoned their wartime assembly-line processes to make domestic goods.
False.
Factories switched from war goods to domestic goods but kept the same assembly-line processes, so goods cost less to produce than before the war.
How were some wartime technologies used after World War II?
Some technologies created for wartime use were reconfigured for home use, such as the microwave oven, which was inspired by technology used to improve radar.
Why did Americans spend heavily on home appliances after the war?
They had rationed their money during the war and were eager to spend.
Define baby boom.
The baby boom was the sharp rise in births after World War II, with more than 50 million babies born between 1945 and 1960.
Why did the baby boom happen?
Young couples became financially secure, married earlier, and had more children than before the war.
How did the baby boom affect the economy?
The boomers were the largest generation, creating a huge increase in demand for goods and services in every sector.
A post-war boom, which met high demand for housing with new communities outside urban centers, helped the American economy grow.
A post-war construction boom, which met high demand for housing with new communities outside urban centers, helped the American economy grow.
How big was the US housing shortage in 1945?
The US had a housing shortage of approximately 5 million homes.
How did the federal government address the postwar housing shortage?
It introduced policies on homebuilding, lending, subsidized ownership, suburban infrastructure, and mortgages, and long-term, low-interest loans became the national standard.
How did federal housing policy disadvantage Black families?
It was much easier for a White family to get a loan, and federal policies allowed segregation in housing.
How did mass-production techniques change home construction?
Builders used standardized floor plans, pre-assembled doors and windows, and subdivided labor that needed fewer skilled or union workers.
The had a direct effect on veterans' ability to afford suburban housing after World War II.
The GI Bill had a direct effect on veterans' ability to afford suburban housing after World War II.
How did interstate highways contribute to suburban growth?
They connected cities and suburbs, so people no longer had to live in the city where they worked.
How did highway construction affect city neighborhoods?
Highways cut through cities, often dividing communities by race; those with money, usually White families, fled to the suburbs, many of which excluded Black residents.
Which cities did the interstate system connect?
It connected all American cities with populations greater than 50,000.
Define Sun Belt.
The Sun Belt is the southern part of the United States, including states such as Florida, Georgia, Texas, Arizona, and southern California.
What attracted people to the Sun Belt?
The warm climate, cheap housing, and lower taxes attracted people.
How did air conditioning contribute to Sun Belt growth?
Air conditioning became widely affordable by the 1950s, making life in the region more comfortable.
How did the Cold War boost jobs in the Sun Belt?
Sun Belt politicians won government contracts and military installations, creating jobs in defense-related industries.
True or False?
Many industries moved to the Sun Belt because its states were more pro-union than the North and Midwest.
False.
Sun Belt states were less pro-union than states in the North and Midwest, so industries moved south and workers followed the jobs.
How did population growth attract even more people to the Sun Belt?
More residents meant more taxes, which improved roads, schools, and health and emergency services.
True or False?
By 1972, the Sun Belt's population was still smaller than that of the Northeast and Midwest combined.
False.
By 1972, the Sun Belt's population was greater than the Northeast and Midwest combined, which gave it more electoral college votes than the other regions.
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