Events which Has Powerful Impact on the American People after World War II - Term Paper Example

Choose one social, economic or political event from each of the five decades following World War II—1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s—that you think had a more powerful impact on the American people than other events within the same decade.” Contents Contents 0 1.Introduction 1 2.1950s – The Impact of MCCARTHYISM 1 3.1960s – Impact of Vietnam War Era 3 4.1970s- Nixon’s Watergate Scandal 3 5.1980s- Reagan’s Economics 5 6.1990s- The End of the Cold War 5 7.Conclusion 6 8.Bibliography 7 1. Introduction This paper hereby highlights the social, economic or political event from decades of 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990 following World War II and their impact on American people and their culture. In 1950s this paper had provided literature on the impact of McCarthyism era on American people, the paper also displays the horrified experiences that the Americans and their industries have to dealt with due to alleged claims by the senator “Joseph McCarthy”. In 1960s, this paper highlights the ways in which the American populations were affected by the Vietnam war despite of fact that the war was not fought on their land. In 1970s, this paper discusses on Nixon’s Watergate scandal which was the biggest scandal exposed in the history of America and how it leads to awareness of regulating authorities, mass media and citizens. In 1980s, this paper discusses the economic boom led by the economics of President Reagan and provides brief literature on its effects on American industries and financial system. In 1990s, this paper displays the ways in which the America emerged as a super power in the world after end of cold war and its effect on the foreign policies of America. 2. 1950s – The Impact of MCCARTHYISM In 1950s, the impact of the “McCarthy” on American people was uniformly evident in the area of international affairs. (Schrecker, 2002) Antagonism to the “Cold War” had been so methodically acknowledged with socialism that it was no longer feasible to defy the fundamental postulations of American foreign policy devoid of gaining doubts of treachery. The uncertainty raised by “Joseph McCarthy” distressed the State Department for very long tenure, particularly with reference to East Asia. (Schrecker, 2002) “Joseph McCarthys” association with the unremitting intellectual experience that bearded his name in history of America commenced with a speech on “Lincoln Day, February 9, 1950,” to the Republican Womens Club of Wheeling by demonstrating an alleged list of identified Communists functioning for the State Department. (Schrecker, 2002) Whilst there were added reasons why television presented a featureless menu of quiz shows and Westerns in late 1950s, apprehensions in the period of McCarthy undoubtedly played a key role. Correspondingly, the blacklist contributed towards the disinclination of the silver screen industry to struggle with contentious social or biased issues. (Fried, 1991) The political inhibition of the McCarthy phase encouraged the growth of the national security state and assisted its growth into the rest of communal society. For the sake of shielding the country from communist penetration, federal agents harassed individual privileges and extended state influence into film studios, academies, work unions and many other seemingly self-regulating institutions. (Fried, 1991) Countless Americans lives and jobs were gone astray owing to McCarthy and his allegations. Hollywoods cream of the crop opposed politician’s consent to control their employing practices but subsequent to the “HUAC” hearings the “blacklists” embarked on in Hollywood restricting employers to hire people who were acknowledged as communist in the blacklist. (Fried, 1991) The blacklists stayed in Hollywood while in the Government agencies over 2,000,000 employees were subjected to loyalty investigations no matter what their status was. Businesses akin to “General Electric, General Motors, CBS, the New York Times, New York City Board of Education and the United Auto Workers” (Fried, 1991) were forced to pursue Hollywoods pattern and fire workers for being Communists. Communism was certainly a philosophy but it was an attitude that haunted the American people for several years. “McCarthy’s era” left its frightening stain on the American social order that was otherwise of superior quality. America might by no means completely recuperate from “Senator Joe McCarthy and his McCarthyism.” (Fried, 1991) 3. 1960s – Impact of Vietnam War Era The era of 1960s witnessed “Vietnam War”, leaving the era with a badge of being assemblage of disorganized and brutal political events with aftershock still sensed over 30 years later. The America’s involvement in Vietnam War is widely acknowledged as one of the most awful events in USA’s history. (Daum, 2003) The influences it leaved on the American populace were remarkable. Even in the present day, several Americans have the terrifying, memorable reminiscences of the war. (Daum, 2003) The war was finished in the year 1973 but Americans still go through the aftershocks of a nationalized distress that left the country resentfully separated and alienated from its principles. In 1960s, lots of immigrants take shelter in USA in anticipation to begin a lot better living adding difficulties for loads of jobless people of America. It estranged numerous returning soldiers from their society. (Wiest, 2003) In the year 1962, US Air Force began a sequence of atypical bombing strikes in South Vietnam altering public attitude and viewpoint in relation to the war. The soldiers fought in Vietnam owing to the shame did not come back with their units but instead come back unaccompanied or in small groups to avoid attention. (Daum, 2003) Even after 3 decades following its ending, the Vietnam War has endured to stand as solitary of the crucial events of the 19th Century. whilst its emotional shocks has relieved to some extent, the war still wields a predominantly philosophical sway upon the in-house political affairs, overseas policy, intellectual living as well as ethnicity of both the America and Vietnam, not to talk about over the worldwide structure itself. (Wiest, 2003) 4. 1970s- Nixon’s Watergate Scandal The “Watergate scandal” was a political scandal exposed in the presidency of “Richard Nixon” leading to the condemnation and conviction of a number of president’s closest advisors and eventually his resignation on “August 9, 1974.” (Sussman, 1992) The Watergate scandal of 1970s gave America a page written by the black ink in its history. It was the first instance when a president was widely exposed as acting in a manner that was not expected by the American citizens. (Sussman, 1992) The impact of the Watergate scandal did not by any ways finish with the resignation of President R. Nixon and the prison sentence of a few of his associates. (Schudson, 1993) Circuitously, Watergate formulated a concrete base for the development of novel bylaws leading to revolutionary modifications in campaign funding. It was a most important aspect in the course of modifications to the “Freedom of Information Act, 1986” (Sussman, 1992) over and above legislations involving latest fiscal revelations by top governmental authorities. Watergate scandal led the way towards a novel era in which the mass-media emerged as an extreme insistent in coverage on the actions of politicians. (Schudson, 1993) Journalists became extreme pessimistic in covering on political matters. Since Nixon along with lots of higher officials involved in Watergate scandal were legal representatives, the shame sternly marked the civic icon of the legal profession. In array to neutralize communal demand for undeviating federal regulation of lawyers, the “American Bar Association”, (ABA) introduced dual foremost reforms: 1. The American Bar Association decided that its existing Model Code of Professional accountability was a failure and substituted it with the Model Rules of Professional Conduct in the year 1983. (Schudson, 1993) The MRPC had been implemented in 44 states. Its preface encloses a categorical memento to young lawyers that the lawful profession can stay independent merely if lawyers perform appropriately. (Schudson, 1993) 2. The ABA propagated a prerequisite that law undergraduates at ABA accredited law institutions take a course in specialized accountability. (Schudson, 1993) 5. 1980s- Reagan’s Economics Post traumatic events in America all through the decade of the 1970s lead Americans all set in anticipation for a major transform, the era of 1970s had originated immense partitions within the America owing to the Vietnam War in association with disbelieves owed to the Watergate scandal. With the election of “Ronald Reagan” in the year 1980, the era of raeganomics emerged. (Cannon, 2000) Reaganomics was a portmanteau of Reagan and Economics which referred to the successive endeavors of President Ronald Reagan to modify the track of US fiscal policies. The Raeganomics comprised f four major intentions that were: i. The diminution of escalation of governmental expenses, (Cannon, 2000) ii. Cutback of the marginal tax rates revenue from both labor as well as capital, (Cannon, 2000) iii. Enormous lessening of set of laws, and (Cannon, 2000) iv. Diminution of inflation by controlling the growth of fiscal supply. (Cannon, 2000) The simplest enlightenment of the theory Reagan endorsed was the “pie slice theory,” In which each person in America was entitled to obtain a slice of the country’s monetary pie. It was a theory that energized the country. (Cannon, 2000) Reaganomics was successful in cutting back the prices increases of goods and services. Reagan’s capital policies and plans promoted domestic manufacturing of definite merchandise and services, which eventually assisted in lowering prices. Samuelson (2004) revealed that inferior inflation assisted place the step for superior financial expansion all the way through the late 1980s. (Dallek, 1999) While soaring price rises subjugated for the period of Reagans entrance into president’s office, his reputation rested principally on the attempts at noticeably dropping inflation rates. All through in the Reagans tenure, supply boosts more rapidly than demand ensuing in a reduced economic inflation to 4% from previous 13% leaving a sight of relief and a wealthy life for Americans. (Dallek, 1999) 6. 1990s- The End of the Cold War The Cold War was an elongated and tiresome fight for supremacy amid the two developed nations in the planet. The impending of the cold war led to a lot aggressive nuclear progression that has an effect on nowadays contemporary conflict and influences one and all in all places. (Ripley, 1997) There are numerous people in America who stands in support of “nuclear weapons” as a technique to re-establish a country, while others are in disagreement with this and believe that all nuclear weapons all over the world ought to be destroyed. (McFaul, 2003) Following the end of Cold War, the United States of America emerged as the lone superpower along with huge responsibilities as much as global harmony was concerned. (McFaul, 2003) The ending of the “Cold War” witnessed Americans enforce several trade endorsements against countries that are supposed were breaching suitable standards of performance relating to “human rights, terrorism, narcotics trafficking and the development of weaponry of mass destruction.” (McFaul, 2003) Regardless of these hinders to liberal trade, the United States of America protracted its progress on trade liberalization in global conferences in the 1990s, passing a “North American Free Trade Agreement” (NAFTA), (Ripley, 1997) and joining in bilateral agreements that set global rules for defending logical possessions and for dong business in financial as well as basic telecommunications services. Numerous monetary crises, particularly one that shocked America in the late 1990s, portrayed the augmented interdependence of international fiscal markets. As the United States of America and other countries made efforts to expand gears for the prevention of likewise crises, they discover themselves looking at development ideas that would necessitate amplified global harmonization and collaboration in the days ahead. 7. Conclusion This paper above had highlighted the various social, political and economical events that have occurred in different phases in the history of America over last five decades. It is evident if the current president could analyze the lessons learned from the historical mistakes, the America can be a super power for the next years ahead and prove through the times of recession and all internal oppositions through improved policies and maintain its peace keeping perspective. 8. Bibliography Cannon, L. (2000). President Reagan: the role of a lifetime. Public Affairs. Dallek, R. (1999). Ronald Reagan: the politics of symbolism : with a new preface. Harvard University Press. Daum, A. W. (2003). America, the Vietnam War, and the World: Comparative and International Perspectives. Cambridge University Press. Fried, R. M. (1991). Nightmare in red: the McCarthy era in perspective. Oxford University Press US. McFaul, M. (2003). Power and purpose: U.S. policy toward Russia after the Cold War. Brookings Institution Press. Ripley, R. B. (1997). U.S. foreign policy after the Cold War. University of Pittsburgh Press. Schrecker, E. (2002). The age of McCarthyism: a brief history with documents. Palgrave Macmillan. Schudson, M. (1993). Watergate in American Memory: How We Remember, Forget, and Reconstruct the Past. BasicBooks. Sussman, B. (1992). The Great Coverup: Nixon and the Scandal of Watergate. Seven Locks Press. Wiest, A. A. (2003). The Vietnam War, 1956-1975. Taylor & Francis. Read More