American Consumerism After World War 2 Summary

After World War II, Americans viewed their nation as an example for the world of what society that was committed to mass consumption looked like. Mass consumption transformed American life leading Americans to buy a lot of material goods and while this was good for the American economy, it also led to troubles. Lizabeth Cohen in her book “A Consumers’ Republic the Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America”, argues that after World War II, there was a shift in Americas economic, political, and cultural system. Mass consumption was beginning to be a common action taken by many Americans during this time. Some of the shifts in the American system were good and some bad.
Cohen’s book discusses the rise of consumerism in the second half

of the twentieth century and how this rise while it did great things for America, also led to troubles. Consumer spending helped secure a historic reign of prosperity, lasted longer, and more than ever before was universally enjoyed in American history (Cohen 121). An American consumer after World War II was seen as a patriotic citizen for aiding the recovery of the country after such a devastating hit on the economy. Between 1946 and 1956, national output of goods and services doubled and in 1970 would double again (Cohen 121). There were also downturns within the economy and national outputs of goods and services. The recessions of 1953-54, 1957-58, and 1960-61 when unemployment spiked up, and growth slowed down, were times when consumer spending wasn’t strong. (Cohen 121). Recessions were normally followed by recoveries that lifted Americans’ wage scales and living standards to a little higher allowing for Americans to begin buying again. From all this spending, economic growth resulted. Americans were buying a variety of items. Televisions, refrigerators, cars, household appliances are only a few to name.
Since not all Americans were able to afford items they desired, an action known as “buying on credit” or “buy now pay later” became very popular.

As discussed in class, buying on credit was a way for individuals to buy items they wanted and enjoy using them while paying for it gradually. Layaway was another way individuals were purchasing items. This is an arrangement of paying a deposit to secure an item for later purchase. This allowed people to have what they wanted kept on hold to ensure they get it once able to afford it. Cohen mentions how at least half of all major household appliances and 60% of car sales involved credit (Cohen 124). This is significant because buying on credit led to a rapid increase in the rate of families going into debt due to the surpassing of their income wages. Cohen then goes to mention how the expansion of credit cards also led to the flare-up of consumer credit (Cohen 124). Stores were making it easier to obtain credit cards which resulted in individuals swiping cards and buying what they wanted which was an easy way for people to go into debt. The image Cohen includes of the map on page 250 I really believe did a great job in showing how shopping and buying was very important to people in America. The map depicts two shopping centers in New Jersey surrounded by a bunch of boroughs, and villages. I saw this as a very smart idea for whoever built the shopping centers because these shopping centers being in the center of many boroughs and

towns gives ease and convenience to people living in different places to come and shop. One goal of shopping centers is to be able to appeal to all people to bring in customers and hopefully profit. Buying on credit and having the access to shopping centers and laying away items were just some ways Cohen argues led to shifts in Americas economic system.
The consumers’ republic not only fostered change in Americas economic system but their cultural system as well.

Cohen comments how the gendering of the consumer began shifting from women to couples to eventually in some cases just men alone (Cohen 147). Women did indeed still purchase but as Cohen states, “the female citizen consumer evolved into the male purchaser as a citizen who, with the help of the state policies, also dominated as head of household, breadwinner, home-owner, and chief taxpayer” (Cohen 147). Cohen includes an interesting image showing how the consumer and gender played key parts in America when mass consumption was at its peak. The advertisement is selling insurance to the market of new homeowners making a quick assumption that the prospective consumers were male (Cohen 152). We see in the image that the man is standing in front of the house almost as if solely he has ownership to the entire land and his wife and kids are on the side engaging in what seems to be gardening. The smaller images in the same advertisement too only depict men rather than women as well. Initially there were men and women consumers but gradually it changed to couples and then in other cases solely

men.
America dealt with shifts in their economic and cultural systems but the political system as well. There was a desire to deliver equality and democracy through mass prosperity and elevate workers to middle-class status but President Eisenhower didn’t seem to like that idea (Cohen 152). Although Eisenhower endorsed the making of a mass middle class, he in reality loathed and detested the middle class (Cohen 152). Eisenhower didn’t see the image of America to be farmers and businessmen. Aside from the desire for equality and democracy, the consumers’ republic was able to create more fairness in class structure. The consumers’ republic aided in ending the idea of a separate working-class labor movement and labor leaders accepting the goals of purchasing power and a mass middle class (Cohen 152). Cohens argument that there were changes in Americas political system is validated by the changes we begin seeing in the ending of separate social classes, specifically the working-class and a desire to deliver equality and democracy. These shifts in the political system of America are significant because as Cohen mentions in her book, some of the shifts were good which benefited the country as a whole but some were bad which hurt the country.
Mass consumption began being seen as an activity for American citizens to engage in. By purchasing goods whether it was on credit or laying it away not only helped the economy but allowed individuals to get items they desired. I personally liked the book because still to this day all of us purchasing items is what keeps the American economy afloat. If we all stopped spending money it would result in a horrible recession, a horrific depression. Our spending keeps the economy running and without it America wouldn’t really be America.