Changing living standards

Question 1

The life expectancy of the average white American in 1915 and in 1980?

Answer 1

48 and 74.4

Question 2

The life expectancy of the average non-white American in 1915 and 1980?

Answer 2

33 and 69.5

Question 3

The average wage of a white American in 1939 and 1979?

Answer 3

$1,234 and $28,894

Question 4

The average wage of a non-white American in 1939 and 1979?

Answer 4

$537 and $19,417

Question 5

The number of people who owned their homes in 1920 and 1940?

Answer 5

6.7 million people and 15.2 million

Question 6

The number of people who rented their homes in 1920 and 1940?

Answer 6

12.9 milllion and 19.6 million

Question 7

What percentage of homes in 1940 had running water?

Answer 7

69.9%

Question 8

What percentage of homes in 1940 had a bath or shower?

Answer 8

56.2%

Question 9

What percentage of homes in 1940 had electric light?

Answer 9

78.7%

Question 10

What percentage of homes in 1940 cooked on gas and what percentage cooked on electricity?

Answer 10

48.8% and 5.4%

Question 11

What percentage of homes had central heating in 1940?

Answer 11

42% (11.3% had no heating)

Question 12

What percentage of people had an electric fridge in 1940?

Answer 12

44.1%

Question 13

In 1940, what percentage of homes had a radio?

Answer 13

82.8%

Question 14

By 1929, what percentage of all goods in the USA were sold in retail chains?

Answer 14

21.9%

Question 15

What percentage of people’s income was spent on food in 1930, 1933 and 1940?

Answer 15

1930= 23.9%, 1933= 25.9%, 1940= 21.1%

Question 16

When was the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) setup?

Answer 16

1935

Question 17

In 1939, how many miles of new power lines were put up by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA)?

Answer 17

100,000 miles

Question 18

What percentage, approximately, of homes had electricity in 1940?

Answer 18

80%

Question 19

How much did the government spend on healthcare in 1917, 1930 and 1940?

Answer 19

1917= $3.1 million, 1930= $11 million, 1940= $32.7 million

Question 20

What percentage of people aged 14-17 were attending school in 1917, 1929 and 1940?

Answer 20

1917= 27.1%, 1929= 51.5%, 1940= 73%

Question 21

What percentage of all children under the age 15 were working in 1920?

Answer 21

8.5%

Question 22

When was it made illegal for children to work under the age 14?

Answer 22

1938

Question 23

What was the average monthly earnings of a farmer in 1928 and 1941?

Answer 23

1928= $35.75 and 1941= $26.88 (1/4 of the average wage of a white American)

Question 24

What percentage of homes had a TV in 1950, 1955 and 1960?

Answer 24

9%, 65% and 85%

Question 25

How many broadcasting stations were there in 1948 and 1954?

Answer 25

1948=16 and 1954=354

Question 26

How much did Coca Cola make before tax in 1950 and 1959?

Answer 26

$55.7 million and $79.1 million

Question 27

How much were teenagers spending a year after a survey conducted in 1959?

Answer 27

$10 billion

Question 28

What percentage of teenage spending was on transportation by 1959?

Answer 28

38%

Question 29

In 1959, how many teenagers had cars?

Answer 29

1.5 million

Question 30

What percentage of teenage spending was on clothing and sports by 1959?

Answer 30

24%

Question 31

What percentage of teenage spending was on food and drink by 1959?

Answer 31

22% (teenagers ate 20% more than adults)

Question 32

What percentage of teenage spending was on entertainment by 1959?

Answer 32

16%

Question 33

How many transistor radios did the USA import in 1959 alone?

Answer 33

6 million

Question 34

In 1949 and in 1956, what percentage of the USA's wealth was owned by the top 1%?

Answer 34

1949= 20.8% and 1956=26%

Question 35

In 1968 and in 1978, what did production workers earn per year?

Answer 35

1968= $6,370 and 1978= $12,962

Question 36

In 1968 and in 1978, what did chief executives earn per year?

Answer 36

1968= $157,000 and 1978= $373,000

Question 37

What was the average income of a white family and black family in 1960?

Answer 37

$5,835 and $3,230

Question 38

In 1966 the US government declared that the poverty line was anyone below the equivalent of $3,000 a year for a family of 4. What percentage of those below the poverty line were white Americans and non-white Americans?

Answer 38

White Americans= 12% and non-white Americans=41%

Question 39

Nixon setup the Earned Income Tax credit that gave how much to working poor with children per year?

Answer 39

$400

Question 40

When was Nixon's Family Assistance Plan?

Answer 40

1970

Question 41

When was Carter's National Consumer Cooperative Bank setup and how large was its budget in 1980?

Answer 41

Setup in 1978 and a budget of $180 million in 1980

Question 42

When was Carter's Rural Development Loan fund set up?

Answer 42

1981

Question 43

When was Kennedy's executive order that called for making food available in areas of chronic unemployment?

Answer 43

January 1961

Question 44

When was the Housing Act that extended funding for urban renewal, low-income housing and low interest loans for housing?

Answer 44

June 1961

Question 45

When was the Manpower Development and Training Act passed?

Answer 45

March 1962

Question 46

As a result of the 1964 Economic Opportunity act, how much was given to fund projects in 'pockets of poverty' and how many Community Action Programmes were setup?

Answer 46

$947.7 million in funding and 1,000 projects

Question 47

The Food Stamp Act was established in which year, and it reached 15 million by which year?

Answer 47

Established in 1964 and reached 15 million people by 1974

Question 48

When was the Medicare Act passed that guaranteed those on Social Security medical care in old age, and free medical care for those on welfare?

Answer 48

July 1965

Question 49

When was the Child Nutrition Act that gave packed lunches to schools who lacked the equipment to prepare food?

Answer 49

October 1966