The concentration of defense-oriented industries in the Southwest and Pacific Coast states has created a new economic dynamic. Since 1945, federal contracts for aircraft, electronics, and aerospace development have acted as a magnet for skilled labor, drawing millions of families away from the traditional manufacturing centers of the Northeast and Midwest. This movement has not only transformed the regional distribution of the American population but has also shifted the balance of political power in Congress, as congressional seats follow the Sunbelt migration.
—Adapted from a federal economic report, 1961
Which of the following was a primary cause of the population movement described in the excerpt?
- The allocation of federal funding to defense contracts and military installations in the South and West.Answer
- BA return to strict laissez-faire principles that eliminated government intervention in the national economy.
- CThe implementation of Great Society programs designed to relocate urban industrial workers to rural farms.
- DThe completion of a national canal system during the Market Revolution that linked the Northeast and West.
Answer
The allocation of federal funding to defense contracts and military installations in the South and West.
The correct answer is correct because the federal government heavily subsidized the development of the Sunbelt (the South and West) through massive Cold War defense spending, military installations, and contracts for aerospace and electronics industries, which attracted millions of workers to these regions.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Sunbelt Migration and Postwar Federal Spending
Estimated Time:1m 30s