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Difficulty: MediumPostwar Economy, Suburbanization, and Demographics

"Our unity as a nation is sustained by free communication of thought and by easy transportation of people and goods. The volume of traffic now using our highways has multiplied at a rate to which our streets and roads cannot adapt. Together, the unifying forces of our communication and transportation systems are dynamic elements in the very name we bear—United States. Without them, we would be a mere alliance of many separate parts... A modern, efficient highway network is essential to keep pace with our growing economy, to ensure our national defense in an age of atomic weapons, and to support the rapid relocation of our population."
— President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Message to Congress, 1955

Which of the following was a major consequence of the federal policies described in the excerpt?

  1. The rapid expansion of suburban subdivisions and the growth of an automobile-reliant commuter culture.Answer
  2. B
    A return to strict laissez-faire policies that reduced the federal government's role in the national economy.
  3. C
    The direct application of the containment doctrine to restrict domestic migration patterns.
  4. D
    The establishment of New Deal programs designed to dismantle the economic dominance of the Sun Belt.

Answer

The rapid expansion of suburban subdivisions and the growth of an automobile-reliant commuter culture.
The correct option is correct because the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, championed by the Eisenhower administration, authorized the construction of the Interstate Highway System. This massive infrastructure project directly catalyzed suburban growth by making commuting by car feasible for millions of middle-class families, leading to the rise of automobile-centered suburbs.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus passage to identify the central policy and its justification.
The passage identifies the federal promotion of a modern, efficient highway network (the Interstate Highway System) justified by economic growth and national defense.
Understanding the primary subject of the stimulus is necessary to connect it to broader historical trends.
2
Evaluate the consequences of the Interstate Highway Act of 1956.
The construction of the interstate highway network facilitated rapid suburban growth (suburbanization) and the development of a commuter culture dependent on automobiles.
Connecting the federal policy to its direct demographic and economic impacts is required to find the correct answer.
3
Eliminate incorrect options based on chronological errors or conceptual misunderstandings.
Laissez-faire, containment of domestic migration, and New Deal connections are ruled out as historically inaccurate or irrelevant.
Differentiating between actual postwar domestic outcomes and unrelated foreign policy or previous eras ensures the correct selection.

Key Concept

Postwar suburbanization and the impact of federal infrastructure spending.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Postwar Economy, Suburbanization, and Demographics

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