Chapter 26: Triumph of the Middle Class, 1945–
1963
iClicker Questions for America’s History,
Seventh Edition and America: A Concise
History, Fifth Edition
1. Which of the following was not a factor in
the rising standard of living in the 1950s?
A.
B.
C.
D.
a high rate of economic growth
an increase in real income
low-priced goods from Japan
a low rate of inflation
2.
All of the following criteria describe the relative
prosperity of American families in the 1950s except
A.
B.
C.
D.
homeownership increased over time.
low inflation created stable and predictable prices.
prosperity was equally distributed.
the fastest rate of income growth was at the 30th
percentile.
3. All of the following were elements of the
military-industrial complex except
A.
B.
C.
D.
a strong business-government partnership.
keeping the United States on a war footing.
a decrease of defense spending.
intertwining of science and government for military
purposes.
4. According to John Kenneth Galbraith in
The Affluent Society (1958), the U.S. economy
A. suffered from periodic recessions.
B. was well suited to alleviate the plight of the poor.
C. guaranteed that one in thirteen families earned more
than $1,000 a year.
D. ensured that the top 10 percent of Americans earned
less than the bottom 50 percent.
5.
Levittown developments were originally
characterized by
A.
B.
C.
D.
racially integrated housing.
a wide variety of architectural styles.
mass-production construction methods.
very large houses.
6.
Television in the 1950s reflected the myth that
the United States
A.
B.
C.
D.
was all white and middle class.
was racially and ethnically diverse.
was composed primarily of adolescents.
contained working-class as well as middle-class
families.
7.
American culture in the postwar period
A. provided no room for nonconformist viewpoints.
B. harked back to classical styles in literature and art.
C. was criticized by a counterculture that celebrated
sex, drugs, and life on the edge.
D. revived the original jazz music of the 1920s.
8. The imposition of postwar gender roles led
to all of the following except
A. the expectation that women would graciously accept
the domestic roles of wife and mother.
B. the dissatisfaction of many housewives with their
limited lives.
C. the publication of Betty Friedan’s book, The
Feminine Mystique.
D. societal pressure for women to excel both as working
professionals and as mothers.
9. The phrase “military-industrial complex”
was coined by
A.
B.
C.
D.
President Roosevelt.
President Truman.
President Eisenhower.
President Kennedy.
10. Compared to suburban areas, the central
cities
A. gained much more media attention.
B. attracted more minority and working-class
migration.
C. experienced greater economic growth.
D. possessed wealthier residential areas.
Answer Key for Chapter 26
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Answer is C
Answer is D
Answer is C
Answer is A
Answer is C
Answer is A
Answer is C
Answer is D
Answer is C
Answer is B