Unit 6 Lesson 3 Eisenhower and Postwar Conflicts Flashcards
What caused a fear that unemployment would rise and the economy would tumble?
When the war ended in 1945, two thirds of all American men between the ages of 18 and 34 were in uniform. Experts feared that without wartime production, many returning soldiers might not find jobs.
Even before the war ended, Congress passed the Gl Bill of rights, what was its purpose?
Even before the war ended, Congress passed the GI Bill of Rights to help returning veterans.
benfits of the GL bill of rights?
Under this law, the government spent billions of dollars to help veterans set up farms and businesses. Many GIs received loans to pay for college or a new home. It also provided a full year of unemployment benefits for veterans who could not find work.
During the war, the government had controlled prices and wages. After the war, the controls ended. The price of goods rose aka inflation, What problems did inflation cause?
Workers demanded higher wages to pay for the price increases. When employers refused, labor unions called strikes. President Harry Truman was sympathetic to workers but feared that higher wages would only add to inflation. He urged strikers to return to work.
Describe the election of 1948?
- Labor strikes and soaring prices had already helped Republicans win a majority in both the House and the Senate for the first time since the 1920s. Among Democrats, unhappy liberals and conservatives deserted Truman to form parties of their own. The Republicans confidently nominated Governor Thomas Dewey of New York for President. Truman fought and won
In Congress, the Fair Deal faced heavy opposition from conservative Democrats and Republicans. What polices were passed?
. Only a few of the proposals passed: a higher minimum wage, expanded Social Security benefits, and loans for buying low-cost houses. Congress rejected most of Truman’s reforms, including a bold plan to provide government-financed health insurance.
Election of 1952, who were the candiates?
In 1952, President Truman chose not to run for reelection. Democrats nominated Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. Republicans chose General Dwight D. Eisenhower, a hero of World War II. Eisenhower, known as “Ike,” promised to end the conflict in Korea and lead Americans through the Cold War.
How was the election of 1952 different from the others
For the first time, television played a major role in a presidential campaign. Instead of long speeches, Republicans used 20-second TV “spots” of Ike responding to questions from hand-picked citizens
Who won the election of 1952?
Still, enough voters were impressed with Ike’s military experience and foreign policy skills to give him a landslide victory.
What did President Eisenhower belive in? What was “striaght road down the middle”?
Like most Republicans, President Eisenhower believed in limiting federal spending and reducing federal regulation of the economy. He called his political course the “straight road down the middle.”
President Eisenhower favored what?
He favored cutting the federal budget but expanding Social Security benefits and some other New Deal programs. Most Americans supported Eisenhower’s middle-of-the-road approach. In the 1956 presidential election, voters reelected Ike to a second term of office.
What was the baby boom?
Population experts called the phenomenon a baby boom. In the 1930s, the population of the United States had grown by only 9 million. In the 1940s it grew by 19 million and in the 1950s by an astounding 29 million! Most couples married young, had an average of three children, and completed their families by their late twenties.
What factors led to the baby boom?
When the war ended and prosperity returned, the number of births soared. Improvements in health care and nutrition contributed to the baby boom. Better care for pregnant women and newborn infants meant that more babies survived. Fewer children died from childhood diseases than had died in the past.
What happens when the economy expands?
The economy rapidly expanded in the postwar years. When an economy expands, more goods are produced and sold and more jobs are created.
How did the governement lead to an econmic boom?
Federal projects also increased factory production. The government spent more money to build new roads, houses, and schools.
