Cohort issues[1] and deficits in the chart below:
·
The Greatest Generation – “Born: 1921 to 1927” – The
earliest was 24 in 1945 at the end of World War II.
·
The Silent Generation – “Born: 1928 to 1927” –
The earliest was 17 in 1945 at the end of World War II. Think about the
difference in being drafted for this cohort and the earlier one above.
·
*Baby boomers – “Born: 1946 to 1964””
·
*Gen X - “Born: 1965 to 1980” - Unit 3 Exam uses the specifics to the
left. FYI: The Learning Quiz has the same meaning but currently says “the
generation of Americans born in the 1960s and 1970s” (Pew Research is more
authoritative and I will be changing it for the next term. I will also alert
you by announcement.
·
*Millennials - “Born: 1981 to 1996” - Unit 3 Exam uses the specifics to the left. The
Learning Quiz has the close meaning but currently says “a person born in the
1980s or 1990s,” but Pew Research’s numbers make a clearer end to this cohort.
Each of the
last 3 cohorts have a long range of time. For an example, see the rows for a
Millennial born in 1981 and one born in 1996.
As far as
domestic issues go in the period from 1950 to 2000, you don’t have to memorize.
You can understand a lot by the age of the baby boomer—entertainment, whether
they are having kids, getting out of college, looking for a job, considering
retirement or a second career. The
numbers on the national debt in each of the years are from the prior textbook,
Ayers American Passages.
|
Issue |
1950s |
1960s |
1970s |
1980s |
1990s |
2000-2008 |
2008-2017 |
|
National Debt |
Deficit 5 of
8 years |
1968 -$25 B –
largest since WWII |
$74 B – end
of Nixon and Carter 1971-wage
freeze; off gold standard |
5 5 $186B $186B–and
climbing |
For the
1990s, see table below and its colors for Presidents. |
|
|
|
President |
1952-1956,
1956-1960 Dwight D. Eisenhower |
1960-1963
John F. Kennedy 1963-1964,
1964-1968 L.B. Johnson |
1968-1972,
1972-08/1974 R.M. Nixon; 08/1974-1976 Gerald Ford; |
1980-1984, 1984-1988 Ronald Reagan –lowers taxes in “supply side” theory[3] 1988-1992 George H. Bush |
1990-1992 – George H. Bush 1992-1996, 1996-2000 William Clinton |
2000-2004,
2004-2008 George W. Bush |
2008-2012, 2012-2016
– Barack Obama |
|
If born in
1945 |
a Baby Boomer is 5 years of age in 1950 |
15 years of
age in 1960 |
25 years of
age in 1970 |
35 years of
age in 1980 |
45 years of
age in 1990 |
55 years of
age in 2000 |
65 years of
age in 2010 |
|
If born in
1965 |
|
|
a Gen Xer is 5 years of age in 1970 |
15 years of
age in 1980 |
25 years of
age in 1990 |
35 years of
age in 2000 |
45 years of
age in 2010 |
|
If born in
1981 |
|
|
|
a Millennial is 5 years of age in 1986 |
15 years of
age in 1996 |
25 years of
age in 2006 |
35 years of
age in 2016 |
|
If born in
1996 |
|
|
|
|
|
a Millennial is 5 years of age in 2001 |
15 years of
age in 2011 |
Details about the 1990-1997 The reduction in debt was bipartisan—Republicans and Democrats
worked together.
Light orange = Starts with Reagan
Dark orange = Blows up in G.H. Bush
Green = lowers 1992-1996
Green = lowers further 1996-2000
|
$222B |
$297B
|
$255B |
$203B |
$25B |
|
|
1990 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1997 |
|
|
Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2003-2018 |
||
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WCJC
Department: |
History – Dr.
Bibus |
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|
Contact
Information: |
281.239.1577
or bibusc@wcjc.edu |
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Last
Updated: |
2018 |
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[1] The age ranges for these cohorts are from this article from Pew Research: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/
[2] The national debt is not specified in the section on the Bush term of 2000-2008, when the TARP crisis occurred. The general statement made about 2000-2008 is that George W. Bush “pushed through Congress a series of tax cuts, that, the White House said, were designed to assist the struggling economy. The budget surplus of the 1990s soon disappeared as a brief recession followed the end of the dot-com bubble. Record debt became one continuing legacy of the Bush era.” (Ayers, American Passages, page 872).
[3] Shi and Tindall, America, pages 1104-1106.