Social legislation

When and what was the employment act?

1945

Allowed the government to enable full employment by all practical means

When and what was the GI Bill and what was its main limitation?

1944 (passed by FDR, continued by Truman)

Gave veterans 52 weeks of unemployment pay and loans for housing and education

Black veterans lost out on this thanks to pre-existing segregation. The GI bill was not a segregationist law but it operated under a segregationist system.

How much had the GI bill spent on veterans by 1955?

$20 billion

When and what was Executive order No. 10340

1952

Attempted to nationalise steel mills to provide munitions for Korea, was blocked by the supreme court.

When and what was the Taft-Hartley act?

1947

Banned “closed shop” operations and neutered unions generally. Truman opposed it but the red-congress passed it regardless.

When and what was the housing act and why was it limited?

1949

Permitted 800,000 public housing units for low income people

However, only 160,000 were built- and poorly at that. Many of them housed black people and did not meet their needs.

What successes did Truman’s social legislation have? (2)

Poverty fell to 28% by 1953

11 million more Americans had been employed by 1953, reaching a total of 62 million in the workforce