The core of the American hippie movement during the 1960s and ’70s were twentysomethings who belonged to what demographers call the baby-boom generation. This generation, made up of men and women who followed in the footsteps of America’s Silent Generation (born between the early 1920s and about 1942), are known for economic and societal impacts that changed American landscapes as well as American values.The baby-boom generation was the product of the sudden increase in U.S. births occurring between 1946 and 1964. The increase was largely the result of the renewed confidence and security that followed the economic hardships and uncertainties of the Great Depression and World War II. Many couples simply couldn’t afford to either get married or have children before 1946; however, after the final shots of World War II were fired, the United States was the only remaining world power with road, rail, and industrial infrastructure that was largely undamaged by the war. Experts believe that a combination of factors produced the baby boom. These included a desire to settle down after the tumult of the 1930s and early 1940s; Cold War propaganda that urged Americans to have more children than their communist counterparts in the Soviet Union, China, and elsewhere; and the demographic double whammy of younger and older couples (both of child-bearing age) deciding to begin families at the same time.The need to accommodate growing families spurred a suburban boom in affordable housing, schools, places of worship, shopping malls, and the road, rail, water, and electrical lines that served them. These developments, in addition to other forces—such as increases in the country’s Cold War defense budget combined with the desire for American products and expertise worldwide—more than doubled the country’s gross national product (GNP, the total market value of the final goods and services produced by a nation’s economy in a given year) between 1940 and 1960.The sheer size of the baby-boom generation (some 75 million) magnified its impact on society. The lasting effect of the boomers went well beyond changing the faces of cities and landscapes. As they reached young adulthood in the 1960s and ’70s, their tastes in music and their hair and dress styles strongly influenced the national culture, driving the popularity of rock music, folk music, and television programming and, to some extent, changing the country’s attitudes toward drug use, sexuality, and how the country viewed those in power. The political activism of some boomers also contributed much to the unpopularity of the Vietnam War. As the war dragged on into the early 1970s, the size of the protest movement grew, largely as a result of the participation by baby boomers who joined in to call for an end to the conflict.

During the 19th century, the industrial revolution led to advances in health care in the United States that resulted in declines in the death rate followed by population growth.  Around 1860, the U.S. birth rate also began to steadily decline until reaching its current plateau of about two births per woman during her lifetime.  Since 1860, the U.S. birth rate has significantly increased during only one period: the post-World War II era known as the baby boom."Baby boomers," the generation of Americans born roughly between 1946 and 1964, are living longer than any prior generation, and their aging has evolving social and historical significance.  By 2030, it is estimated that there will be about 61 million baby boomers in their eighties.  In 1950, there were approximately seven times more producers (people age 15-64) than elderly (people age 65 and over); by 2030 there are projected to be less than three times more producers than elderly.  Providing medical and social care to this aging cohort will have a major negative impact on the American economy due to the costs associated with health care and basic social services.Also impacting the U.S. population distribution is the fact that younger Americans (referred to as "millennials," born roughly between 1982 and 2004) are delaying marriage and children more so than any preceding generation, resulting in declining U.S. fertility rates.  Figure 1 compares the U.S. population pyramid in 2000 to a projected population pyramid in 2030.Figure 1  United States population pyramid from 2000 and a projected population pyramid for 2030 Question 32The passage provides specific data for which of the following in the United States?A.The number of live births per year for every 1,000 members of a population, regardless of sex or ageB.The total number of live births per year for every 1,000 women of childbearing age in a populationC.The average number of children born per woman during her lifetimeD.The number of live births per year for 1,000 women in a certain age group in a population

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.What Makes a Generation?by Rick ZolloIn 1965, the rock band The Who had its first hit song, “My Generation.” Like the era, the song was angry, noisy, and confused. It became an anthem for the Baby Boom Generation, the group of people who were in their teens and twenties during the tumultuous 1960s and 1970s. Each generation before and since has had its own problems and concerns, and each generation has responded in its own way. By observing trends and social movements, you can get an idea of a generation’s collective character.The generation born in the first two decades of the twentieth century is known as the G.I. Generation. Some people also call it the “Greatest Generation” because of its achievements. After enjoying the prosperous decade of the “Roaring Twenties,” this generation faced years of widespread poverty and world war. The G.I. Generation first survived the Great Depression and then fought in World War II, in Europe, in North Africa, in the Pacific, and at home.After the war, the efforts of the G.I. Generation contributed to making the United States the world’s leading military and economic power. Many of them also settled down and started families. Because so many people did so at the same time, there was a sudden and large increase, or “boom,” in the birth rate, and the Baby Boom Generation was born.The generation between the G.I. Generation and Baby Boom Generation is known as the Silent Generation. Like the G.I. Generation, the members of the Silent Generation suffered through the hard times of the Great Depression and World War II, but they were too young to participate in the war effort. They later contributed to the economic prosperity that defined the 1950s and 1960s. They are called “silent” because, in contrast with the boomers, they were perceived as largely self-concerned and uninvolved in politics.The Baby Boom Generation came of age during the prosperous middle of the twentieth century. For the first time in American history, young people from most social classes went to college. As a result, the generation is highly educated. Because their parents wanted to give the boomers better lives than they had, the boomers were also the first generation of young people with a lot of free time and spending money. They became the driving force of the culture, and America’s music and films have been largely focused on youth ever since. The boomers were also given more material goods than members of previous generations. Nevertheless, in their youth, the boomers did not easily accept the society that created the wealth they enjoyed. For example, the Vietnam War forced many boomers to make a choice. They could either fight in an unpopular war or protest and become divided from their elders.Born in the 1960s and 1970s, members of Generation X are certainly different from previous generations. They have had to deal with a rising divorce rate, working parents, AIDS, and a technological revolution. Gen-Xers are defined by mocking humor, a tendency to question authority, fascination with new technology, and a love for popular culture. Born in the 1980s and 1990s, the final generation of the twentieth century is known as Generation Y, or the Millennial Generation. Although some might say they are indifferent, they are actually conscious of many issues. The children of the boomers, the members of this generation are concerned with global terrorism, new family structures, the growing gap between rich and poor, and the influence of the media on the young.5According to the passage, the G.I. Generation and the Silent Generation are similar because they were both A. affected by World War II and the Great Depression. B. participants in wars. C. interested in family life. D. perceived as self-concerned and uninvolved in politics.

As discussed in class lecture, the baby boom generation represents those born between roughly:Group of answer choices1946-19641980-20002000-20201965-1979

The most striking feature of American society in the 1950s and early 1960s was the booming economic growth that made even the heady 1920s seem pale by comparison. Identify which of the following statements correctly describe the effects of the postwar economic boom on American society. 1. The suburban population grew almost as fast as the population as a whole. 2. The economic expansion lasted for almost twenty years with only brief interruptions. 3. Economic growth was held back only by the frugality developed by most Americans during the Depression. 4. The gross national product grew by a staggering 250 percent. 5. The prosperity was notable because it had very little influence on the standard of living in the United States. 6. Economic expansion triggered a sharp increase in the birthrate.

Complete the statement that describes a group of Americans in the 1920s that became disillusioned with the country’s conservatism, repression, and materialism.The – frequently traveled to – in search of a place outside of the United States that appreciated art, culture, and freedom of expression.Lost GenerationCanadaParisBeat Generation