Consumerism played a big part in America’s prosperity. Now that people had jobs like working in factories, nursing and child minding they could afford to buy items that they could not afford before like cars, between 1945 and 1960 the number of private cars increased from 25 to 62 million. People could how afford to buy televisions, there were 3.5 millions televisions sets in the USA in 1950 and by 1960 that number had increased by 83.2 million. Now that must of America had televisions the amount of commercials increased and took up 20% of broadcasting time which was far more than was permitted in Britain, because of all these commercials people were being persuaded to but the items that were being advertised, this added to the consumer economy.
President Eisenhower also played a part in consumerism he advised people during a slight drop in sales to ‘Buy anything’. Teenagers now had more money to spend on themselves than their parents did during the years if Depression and war, they were certainly better off than young people in other countries. For the first time teenage fads products such as transistor radios, magazines, rock ‘n’ roll records and Elvis movies. Those that lived through the 1930s now recognised that the country was now truly out of depression.
President Eisenhower wanted the economy to continue growing so they cut taxes on businesses and wealthy individuals this made them much better off. He also ended controls on wages and prices, because of the end of business control employers could increase the wages of their employees and could also increase the amount that they sell their good for, this added to the economical growth. Businesses were ‘set free’ from government controls, because these were all ‘conservative’ policies the ‘liberals’ made some of their own, social security benefits were increased and expanded to include another 10 million people and the minimum wage increased from 75 cents an hour to 1 dollar.
Between 1945 and 1960 a post-war ‘baby boom’ increased the population by about 40 million, an increase of 30%, to a total 179,323,175. The ‘baby boom’ spurred the move to the suburbs; because of the big move to the suburbs people had the buy cars to travel in. Roads also had to be build this meant that there was even more money and jobs available.
Women also added to the growth of the economy, before the war most women worked at home cooking and cleaning. The war years increased opportunities for women to get paying jobs while their husbands were at war. 6 million women entered factories engaged in war production; nearly 200,000 joined the armed forces in the Women’s Army Corps, some women join the American Red Cross and others worked as machinists, toolmakers, stevedores and even rail tracklayers.
Overall I believe that it was President Eisenhower who contributed mostly to America’s prosperity in the years 1945-1960. He was a dedicated president and the things that he changed to increase America’s economy were very effective, he cut taxes on businesses and wealthy individuals and he ended controls on wages and prices, I think these were the most effective changes and they made America a very happy and prosperous country.
