1950’s1950’s

Presidential Election of 1952Presidential Election of 1952

• Republicans – Dwight D. Republicans – Dwight D. EisenhowerEisenhower– Turned down bid in 1948Turned down bid in 1948– Concerned isolationists Concerned isolationists

might regain the White might regain the White HouseHouse

– VP – Richard NixonVP – Richard Nixon• The “Checkers speech”The “Checkers speech”

• Democrats – Adlai StevensonDemocrats – Adlai Stevenson– Governor of IllinoisGovernor of Illinois

• Truman very unpopular, Truman very unpopular, cabinet members facing bribe cabinet members facing bribe charges, Democrat in charge charges, Democrat in charge for 20 yearsfor 20 years

• ““I like Ike”I like Ike”• Landslide victory for Landslide victory for

EisenhowerEisenhower– 55% to 44%55% to 44%– EC – 442 to 89EC – 442 to 89

Eisenhower PresidencyEisenhower Presidency

• Cabinet acted as a true advisory boardCabinet acted as a true advisory board– Full-time secretary, an agenda, regularly Full-time secretary, an agenda, regularly

kept meeting minuteskept meeting minutes

• Cabinet members could easily take over Cabinet members could easily take over day-to-day operationsday-to-day operations– Suffered a heart attack and a stroke while Suffered a heart attack and a stroke while

in officein office

• Moderate approachModerate approach– Small government, reduce taxes, end Small government, reduce taxes, end

government regulation of business government regulation of business (Tennessee Valley Authority “creeping (Tennessee Valley Authority “creeping socialism”)socialism”)

– Health insurance program, domestic affairsHealth insurance program, domestic affairs

• The Bricker AmendmentThe Bricker Amendment– Intended to limit the power of the Intended to limit the power of the

PresidentPresident– Would require Senate ratification of all Would require Senate ratification of all

agreements made by the President with agreements made by the President with other nationsother nations

– Bill defeated by a single voteBill defeated by a single vote

• 2 new states during his presidency2 new states during his presidency

Business, Labor, and FarmsBusiness, Labor, and Farms

• Big business boomsBig business booms– Tons of mergers in the 1950sTons of mergers in the 1950s– Nation’s 100 largest companies Nation’s 100 largest companies

controlled 30 % of all industrial controlled 30 % of all industrial productionproduction

– General Motors, AT&T had annual General Motors, AT&T had annual budgets larger than many countriesbudgets larger than many countries

• 1955 – AFL and CIO unions merge to 1955 – AFL and CIO unions merge to create the AFL-CIOcreate the AFL-CIO– The merger increased the strength of The merger increased the strength of

organized labor and made it easier for organized labor and made it easier for workers to form local unionsworkers to form local unions

• Farmers’ share of the national Farmers’ share of the national income dropped from 9% to 4% from income dropped from 9% to 4% from 1948-19561948-1956– Eisenhower reluctant to guarantee Eisenhower reluctant to guarantee

farmers set pricesfarmers set prices– Hurt small farms, agribusinesses Hurt small farms, agribusinesses

(large-scale farms) take over (large-scale farms) take over – by 1959 half of U.S. farmland by 1959 half of U.S. farmland

belonged to 4% of the farmersbelonged to 4% of the farmers

Presidential Election of 1956Presidential Election of 1956

• Exactly the same as 1952Exactly the same as 1952• Republicans – Dwight D. Republicans – Dwight D.

EisenhowerEisenhower• Democrats – Adlai StevensonDemocrats – Adlai Stevenson• Even more of a landslide than 1952Even more of a landslide than 1952

– 57% to 42%57% to 42%– EC – 457 to 73EC – 457 to 73

An Economy of AbundanceAn Economy of Abundance

• Post WWII – economy gets rollingPost WWII – economy gets rolling– Video

• ““Economy of scarcity” – Economy of scarcity” – productivity limited by a lack of productivity limited by a lack of resources and overpopulationresources and overpopulation

• ““Economy of abundance” – new Economy of abundance” – new technology led to endless variety technology led to endless variety and amounts of goods and servicesand amounts of goods and services– Highest standard of living in the Highest standard of living in the

history of the worldhistory of the world

• Americans produced more than we Americans produced more than we could usecould use– Wealth distributed throughout the Wealth distributed throughout the

populationpopulation– 1920s – wealthiest 5% received 1920s – wealthiest 5% received

35% of the country’s income35% of the country’s income– 1960 – this group received only 1960 – this group received only

18%18%

• Americans bought automobiles, Americans bought automobiles, household appliances, and other household appliances, and other luxuriesluxuries

Technological and Scientific Technological and Scientific ProgressProgress

• Factories and industries began Factories and industries began using automation – operating a using automation – operating a production system using production system using mechanical or electronic devicesmechanical or electronic devices– Goods produced more efficiently Goods produced more efficiently

and quickly than ever beforeand quickly than ever before

• Computers emergeComputers emerge– Took over bookkeeping functions Took over bookkeeping functions

such as billing and inventorysuch as billing and inventory– Guide satellites, forecast weather, Guide satellites, forecast weather,

identify fingerprintsidentify fingerprints

• 1955 – Dr. Jonas Salk develops a 1955 – Dr. Jonas Salk develops a vaccine for poliovaccine for polio– Within a year polio is nearly wiped Within a year polio is nearly wiped

outout– By 1960 – pneumonia, tuberculosis, By 1960 – pneumonia, tuberculosis,

diphtheria all nearly eliminated diphtheria all nearly eliminated

Move to the SuburbsMove to the Suburbs

• Reliance on automobiles meant people Reliance on automobiles meant people didn’t have to live in the city anymoredidn’t have to live in the city anymore

• Levittown – endless housing Levittown – endless housing development created right outside the development created right outside the citycity– William Levitt – father of modern William Levitt – father of modern

American suburbiaAmerican suburbia– Planned communities – assembly line Planned communities – assembly line

houseshouses– $8,000 to $12,000$8,000 to $12,000– Monthly payments of $57 – even low by Monthly payments of $57 – even low by

1950 standards1950 standards

• Shopping centers emerge in the suburbs Shopping centers emerge in the suburbs along with businesses and factoriesalong with businesses and factories

• Highway Act of 1956 – 42,000 miles Highway Act of 1956 – 42,000 miles added to the interstate highwayadded to the interstate highway

• 1955 – automobile sales account for 20% 1955 – automobile sales account for 20% of GNPof GNP– Car culture

Conformity and Changes in Conformity and Changes in Family LifeFamily Life

• ““The American Dream” – new house The American Dream” – new house in the suburbs, larger television, in the suburbs, larger television, newest model of carnewest model of car

• Everyone alike – young, white, good Everyone alike – young, white, good income, job in service industryincome, job in service industry

• The Man in the Gray Flannel SuitThe Man in the Gray Flannel Suit• pressure on women to return homepressure on women to return home

– Dr. Benjamin Spock – raising Dr. Benjamin Spock – raising children is more important and children is more important and rewarding than a jobrewarding than a job

• Post WWII more women dropped Post WWII more women dropped out and married youngout and married young

• ““Baby boom” – 1945 to 1961Baby boom” – 1945 to 1961– More than 65 million children bornMore than 65 million children born– Record high in 1957, finally broken Record high in 1957, finally broken

in 2007 with 4.3 million babiesin 2007 with 4.3 million babies

• Children given more freedom and Children given more freedom and an increasing amount of material an increasing amount of material goodsgoods– Critics pointed to the rise in juvenile Critics pointed to the rise in juvenile

delinquencydelinquency

““The Golden Age of Television”The Golden Age of Television”

• 1946 – 17,000 sets in homes1946 – 17,000 sets in homes• 1957 – 40 million sets in homes1957 – 40 million sets in homes

– 1 for every family1 for every family

• More people owned televisions than More people owned televisions than refrigeratorsrefrigerators

• Industry emerged directly out of Industry emerged directly out of radioradio– ABC, NBC, and CBS all started as ABC, NBC, and CBS all started as

radio companiesradio companies

• Beginning with 1952 Election, Beginning with 1952 Election, Republicans and Democrats were Republicans and Democrats were pouring millions into television pouring millions into television advertisingadvertising– Fear that it would help whichever Fear that it would help whichever

candidate most effectively used candidate most effectively used televisiontelevision

• By the late 1950s television had By the late 1950s television had replaced newspapers and radio as replaced newspapers and radio as the primary source of newsthe primary source of news