This document discusses several economic and social issues facing the US government in the post-World War II period, as well as actions taken to address them. It notes challenges including demobilizing soldiers, unemployment, integrating women and African Americans into the workforce, and inflation. The GI Bill provided education and home loans for veterans. Truman's 21 Point Plan aimed for full employment but mostly failed. Strikes in 1946 protested ending price controls. The Employment Act committed the government to full employment. The Emergency Housing Bill and Taft-Hartley Act impacted housing, unions, and veterans. Executive Order 9981 desegregated the military while Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier.

1. What are the economic problems
on the horizon?
• What should the government
do with 12 million returning
soldiers? (Demobilization)
• Unemployment?
• Women? Serving in the
workforce?
• African-Americans?
• Change industry back to
refrigerators, washers, and
radios???
• Inflation up 6% in one month

2. GI Bill of Rights
• June 22, 1944
• Provide Opportunities to Soldiers
returning home from War
▫ Zero Down, low-interest home
loans
▫ Soldiers were able to attend the
college of their choice free of
charge as long as they met
entrance requirements
▫ Zero Down, low interest loans to
Buisness Owners
▫ 2.4 Million went to school!!!

3. Truman’s 21 Point Plan
• Some of the Main Points…
▫ 1. New Public Works Projects
▫ 2. Legislation calling for “Full Employment”
▫ 3. Higher Minimum Wage
▫ 4. Larger Social Security System
▫ 5. National Health Insurance
• Only one of these were successful…which one do
you think was passed?
▫ Biggest issue…Planned Economy back to a Free-
Market (Price/Wage Controls, Rationing,
Production Targets

4. Strikes (1946)
• Spring of 1946
▫ Steel, Coal, Auto, Rail
• Lasted 1 month Nationwide
• Reason: During the war, the
government put restrictions on
wages, prices, unions
▫ Ex: Income Tax 90%
▫ Once the Price controls were
removed…Prices skyrocketed
(The Price of Meat Doubled!!)
• Truman threatened to draft the
striking workers into the military

5. Employment Act (1946)
• Based on the beliefs of John
Maynard Keynes
▫ Noted Economist
▫ Believed that the only way out
of a depression was to spend,
spend, spend
• Government’s purpose is to
encourage full employment for
anyone that wants a job

6. Emergency Housing Bill (1946)
• May 26, 1946
• Government constructs 2.5
Million Homes for Veterans…
• Why is this needed?
• How does this benefit the
economy?

7. Taft-Hartley Act (1947)
• Limited the Power of unions in the country after
the war
▫ Union officers must take non-communist oaths
▫ Outlawed “closed shop” unions
 Means that joining a union was mandatory for
employment
• Bill was passed by a Republican Congress over a
Truman veto

8. Executive Order #9981
• July 26, 1948
• Establishes equal
opportunities for all races,
colors, religions, or national
origins
• Desegregates the US Armed
Forces

9. Jackie Robinson (1947)
• April 15, 1947
• First African-American
Baseball Player in the Major
Leagues
• Career .311 hitter
• 6 time All-Star
• 1949 NL MVP
• Still owns the record for
stealing home 19 times