Flashcards on America in the 1950s: Society and Politics
America in the 1950s: Society and Politics Explored
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1950s United States History
32 cards
Card 1
Question: What popular TV sitcom (1974–1984) reflected the 1950s as 'Happy Days' in popular imagination?
Answer: Happy Days
Card 2
Question: Name three films or shows from the 1970s–1990s that evoked 1950s nostalgia.
Answer: American Graffiti (1973), Grease (1971/1978), Pleasantville (1998)
Card 3
Question: Which political figures are associated with political nostalgia for the 1950s in the presentation?
Answer: Ronald Reagan and Mitt Romney (with Reagan’s 1984 ad “It’s Morning Again in America”)
Card 4
Question: How did U.S. GNP change between 1945 and 1960 according to the presentation?
Answer: GNP grew by 250% between 1945 and 1960
Card 5
Question: What happened to British food rationing compared with the U.S. economic recovery?
Answer: Food rationing in the UK did not end until 1953 (contrasting with U.S. prosperity)
Card 6
Question: Between 1947 and 1957 how did factory employment change and how many blue‑collar jobs were eliminated?
Answer: Factory workers decreased by 4.3%, eliminating 1.5 million blue‑collar jobs
Card 7
Question: By what year were there more white‑collar than blue‑collar jobs in the U.S.?
Answer: By 1956 there were more white‑collar than blue‑collar jobs
Card 8
Question: By 1960 what proportion of total corporate income was accounted for by 600 corporations, and what percentage of all U.S. companies did they represent?
Answer: 600 corporations (0.5% of all U.S. companies) accounted for 53% of total corporate income
Card 9
Question: How did women's participation in the U.S. workforce change from pre‑WWII to 2010 according to the presentation figures?
Answer: Pre‑WWII 25%; WWII 36%; 1950 33.9%; 1960 37.7%; 1980 51.5%; 2010 62.2%
Card 10
Question: What years define the Baby Boom given in the presentation, and how many babies were born in the U.S. during that period?
Answer: Baby boom: 1946–1964; 79 million babies born in the U.S.