Week 11 Days 1 and 2-The Age of Consensus PDF

Preview

Summary

Dr. Rhodes, Fall 2017...

Description









Introduction o It's very difficult to get Americans to agree, but the 1950's was a time when nearly everyone agreed o The Cold War caused everyone to agree on economics, politics, and lifestyles, which were all rooted in hyper-patriotism The Fabric of Consensus o McCarthyism  The Cold War established the "boundaries" for life  America could agree on two fundamental things:  The U.S. was good  The USSR was bad  The only way to tell if someone was a communist was to measure their patriotism o Politics – “The Liberal Consensus”  Cooperation and stability, temporary truce and cooperation  Part of it is left over from WWII, but part of it is the threat of communism  Most of the things we usually fight about aren't issues anymore  Started using Keynesian economics  Using spending and taxation to control the economy  The economy continues to grow, no need for new governrment programs  "a rising tide lifts all boats"  o Economics – People of Plenty THE CLEAVERS o Suburbia – “The Crabgrass Frontier” o Ward – “The Organization Man” o June – “Domestic Containment” o Wally & the Beaver – “Child Centered” CONCLUSIONS o After WWII there was a great deal of promise, but there was also threats looming (dichotomy)  Barbie vs. GI Joe...