AP European History AMSCO Guided Notes
9.6: Contemporary Western Democracies
AMSCO Guided Notes
AP European History Guided Notes
AMSCO 9.6 - Contemporary Western Democracies
Essential Questions
- What were the state-based economic developments following World War II, and what were the responses to these developments?
I. Economic Cooperation
1. What was the primary purpose of establishing the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952?
2. How did the European Economic Community represent a step toward greater European integration?
II. Expansion of Social Welfare Programs
A. Creation of the Welfare State
1. What is a welfare state and what specific benefits did Britain's Labour government provide beginning in 1946?
2. Why did European governments expand educational opportunities and create more universities after World War II?
3. What were the financial consequences of expanding social welfare programs across Western Europe by 1980?
B. Challenges to the Welfare State
1. What economic and demographic factors created challenges for European welfare states in the 1970s and 1980s?
2. How did the recessions of 1973-1974 and 1979-1983 affect government spending on social welfare programs?
C. Thatcher Changes Britain
1. What were Margaret Thatcher's main goals regarding taxes, social welfare programs, and the role of government?
2. What is privatization and which industries did Thatcher privatize in Britain?
3. How did Thatcher's policies affect unemployment and industrial regions in northern Britain?
Key Terms
welfare state
pensions
cradle-to-grave
Margaret Thatcher