Political Climate in the 1950s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Political Climate in the 1950s - Essay Example The political scenario suffered in the shape of the communist opposition party dwindling into insignificance. With their downfall, America lost the institutional network that had created a public space where alternatives to the current workings of the government could be presented and be challenged. By late 1950s, thousands of men and women had lost their jobs, hundreds had been deported or sent to prison, and two had been executed. Most, but not all, of these people had once been in or near the American Communist Party. [6] [7] Also the social policy reforms including national insurance policy supported by the leftist also fell apart. McCarthyism further contributed to the attenuation of the reform impulse by diverting the attention of the labor movement, the strongest institution within the left-liberal coalition, from external organizing to internal politicking. [5] [6] America's cultural and intellectual life in the 1950s also suffered from McCarthyism. TV and radio offered a bland menu of quiz shows and Westerns during late 1950s so that no relation could be made to communism and its views. Similarly the film industry cautiously restrained itself from indulging into controversial social or political issues. On the international political front, an opposition to the Cold War had been so thoroughly identified with communism that it was no longer possible to challenge the basic assumptions of American foreign policy without incurring suspicions of disloyalty. [5] [6] What Is Meant By The Term Politics Of Consensus Politics of consensus means common frameworks and policies agreed between all political parties that are adopted by the government. During the years 1945 to 1979, this practice was observed by the government of Britain. The Conservative Party and Labour Party, which were the two major political parties in Britain at that time, were in consensus over certain basic government policies. All the political scientists and media commentators agreed with the policies introduced in the decades after World War II. Changes in the government responsibility such as the welfare state, the National Health Service (NHS), and widespread nationalization of industry, were some of the policies that were agreed unconditionally by both parties. [2] During the late 1970s, the political consensus eventually started to break up. The Conservative Party and the Labour Party were getting at odds over each other. With the sudden rise in oil price in early 1970s, drew a new economic experience of 'stagflation', where high inflation was combined with high unemployment. The Conservative Party challenged the political consensus of the use Keynesian economics by the government. The increasing differences of economic opinion between the two parties finally ended the consensus that was agreed in previous decades. [2] Why Did The Civil Rights Movement Begin In The 1950s After the end of World War II, the blacks (Negro) became increasingly active socially. Discrimination in the military services and in the work force challenged them from getting any important positions. In the South, Blacks had been put to near slavery conditions with the Black Codes and the Jim Crow Laws. As a result many left southern farms for northern cities in search for better jobs. When they found crowded and discriminatory conditions