Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumPostwar Economy, Suburbanization, and Demographics

The table below shows the population of selected United States cities from 1950 to 1970:

City1950 Population1960 Population1970 Population
Detroit, Michigan1,849,5681,670,1441,511,482
Boston, Massachusetts801,444697,197641,071
Houston, Texas596,163938,2191,232,802
Los Angeles, California1,970,3582,479,0152,816,061

Which of the following factors was the most direct cause of the demographic regional shifts illustrated in the table?

  1. A
    A federal return to strict laissez-faire policies that reduced government involvement in regional economies
  2. B
    The immediate economic success of Great Society programs in eliminating poverty within older industrial cities
  3. The disproportionate allocation of federal defense contracts and infrastructure spending to the South and WestAnswer
  4. D
    The introduction of supply-side tax cuts and deregulation to stimulate industrial manufacturing

Answer

The disproportionate allocation of federal defense contracts and infrastructure spending to the South and West
The growth of Sunbelt cities like Houston and Los Angeles, contrasted with the decline of older industrial cities like Detroit and Boston, was heavily driven by the federal government's post-World War II spending on defense, aerospace industries, and military installations in the South and West.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the table to identify the demographic trends of the selected cities from 1950 to 1970.
Detroit and Boston (Northeastern/Midwestern cities) show population declines, while Houston and Los Angeles (Southern/Western cities) show rapid population growth.
To understand what specific regional demographic shift is being measured.
2
Identify the historical context of this shift, known as the rise of the Sunbelt and the decline of the Rustbelt/Frostbelt in the post-World War II era.
Recognize that millions of Americans migrated to the South and West during this period.
To connect the data in the table to broader historical trends.
3
Determine the primary government policies and economic factors that facilitated this migration.
The expansion of federal Cold War defense spending, aerospace contracts, and highway infrastructure projects in the South and West was the primary catalyst.
To select the factor that most directly caused the documented population shifts.

Key Concept

The economic and demographic factors driving postwar migration to the Sunbelt
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Rate this question

Topics

Postwar Economy, Suburbanization, and Demographics

More questions from this topic