APUSH Vocab 8.4, 8.5, 8.9

Employment Act of 1946

Established the federal government’s responsibility for promoting economic stability and growth; created the Council of Economic Advisers to advise the president on economic policy.

Council of Economic Advisers

A group of economists appointed by the president to provide expertise on maintaining economic stability and preventing future depressions.

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (GI Bill of Rights)

Provided education, home loans, and job training for WWII veterans, helping integrate them into postwar society.

Baby Boom

A surge in births (1946-1964) due to economic prosperity and returning WWII soldiers, fueling suburban growth and demand for schools and consumer goods.

Levittown

One of the first mass-produced suburban communities, symbolizing postwar suburbanization and the rise of affordable housing for middle-class families.

Sun Belt

A region spanning the South and West where Americans moved due to warm climates, job opportunities, and lower taxes, leading to economic and political shifts.

22nd Amendment

Limited the president to two terms in office, passed in response to FDR’s four-term presidency.

Taft-Hartley Act (1947)

Restricted labor unions by banning closed shops and allowing states to pass "right-to-work" laws, weakening union power.

Fair Deal

President Truman’s social reform program aimed at expanding New Deal policies, advocating for civil rights, healthcare, and education funding, but met with congressional opposition.

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (1953)

Created under Eisenhower to oversee federal programs related to health, education, and welfare services.

Soil Bank Program

A federal initiative encouraging farmers to remove land from production to prevent overproduction and soil depletion, part of Eisenhower’s agricultural policy.

Interstate Highway Act (1956)

Largest public works project in U.S. history; built a national highway system to facilitate military movement and suburban expansion.

New Frontier

JFK’s domestic policy agenda promoting civil rights, education, space exploration, and economic growth.

Trade Expansion Act (1962)

Gave the president authority to lower tariffs to increase international trade, especially with Western Europe.

New Federalism

Nixon’s policy of shifting power from the federal government to the states, emphasizing revenue sharing (giving states federal funds to use with fewer restrictions).

Revenue Sharing

Federal funds given to states and local governments with few restrictions, allowing them to manage their own spending priorities.

Stagflation

A combination of high inflation and high unemployment that troubled the U.S. economy in the 1970s, challenging traditional economic policies.

Television

A dominant form of entertainment and news in the postwar era, shaping American culture, consumerism, and politics (e.g., JFK-Nixon debates).

Credit Cards

Popularized in the 1950s, enabling consumers to buy now and pay later, fueling economic growth and personal debt.

Fast Food

A booming industry in the 1950s with chains like McDonald's, symbolizing convenience culture and changing American eating habits.

Rock and Roll

A new music genre blending blues, jazz, and country, popular among youth and symbolizing cultural rebellion in the 1950s and 1960s.

Conglomerates

Large corporations that owned diverse businesses across multiple industries, growing in power in the postwar economy.

Great Society

President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ambitious program to eliminate poverty and racial injustice, expanding social welfare programs.

The Other America (1962)

A book by Michael Harrington exposing widespread poverty in the U.S., influencing LBJ’s War on Poverty.

War on Poverty

LBJ’s initiative to combat poverty through programs like Head Start, Job Corps, and Medicare/Medicaid.

Barry Goldwater

A conservative Republican senator and 1964 presidential candidate who opposed federal social programs and called for aggressive Cold War policies.

National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities

Created in 1965 to financially support artists, writers, and scholars, fostering American cultural development.

Medicare

A federal program providing health insurance for Americans 65 and older, part of the Great Society programs.

Medicaid

A federal-state program providing healthcare for low-income individuals, another key Great Society reform.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965)

Provided federal funding to public schools to improve education, particularly for low-income students.

Department of Transportation (1966)

Established to oversee national transportation policies, safety regulations, and infrastructure projects.

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD, 1965)

Created to address urban housing needs and combat poverty through affordable housing programs.

Ralph Nader

A consumer advocate who exposed safety issues in the auto industry, leading to new consumer protection laws.

Unsafe at Any Speed (1965)

Nader’s book criticizing the auto industry’s resistance to safety regulations, leading to car safety reforms.

Rachel Carson

Environmentalist whose work raised awareness about pollution and its effects on nature and human health.

Silent Spring (1962)

Carson’s book exposing the dangers of pesticides like DDT, inspiring the modern environmental movement and stricter regulations.

Immigration Act of 1965

Abolished the quota system based on national origin, leading to increased immigration from Asia, Latin America, and Africa, reshaping U.S. demographics.