cars

• Road maintenance and Service Stations helped to create jobs so cars were significant
• Drive-in cinemas, diner, motels all made more jobs, developed industry and made more leisure time - easy, accessible, affordable so car development was signifcant
• Theme parks and tourism were all made more convenient and affordable with cars so they were signifcant
• Road Traffic Accidents led to an increase of deaths which reduces quality of life, there were 20 million on the road in 1920s and 121 million by 1980s
• in 1973 there was an Oil Crisis which drastically increased oil prices and negatively affected the US economy. The poorest car owners could not afford fuel now, which created a larger rich-poor divide
• Minorities and non-car ownerscouldnt afford cars but public transport was becoming less common and less developed. people struggled with employment without transport.
• Sports Industry- More government investment in to stadiums as it was another leisure activity for families and the infrastructure building created more jobs
• Technology - TV - Saved people money on babysitters and it was a more convenient alternative to cinemas, there were more jobs from factories and Tv dinners and they allowed for businesses to advertise
• Post War affluence (WW2)meant there was a huge demand for consumer goods, production increased (from $213 billion in 1945 to $284 billion in 1950) which kept unemployment low. The business boom encouraged employers to raise wages, thus encouraging even more spending. there was a post-war 'baby boom' meant a growing demand for child centred goods and foods
• Rich-poor divide meant that car-owning culture was creating inequality and cars quickly became symbols of wealth
• The Great Society 1964-65 - government intervention to create more equality