Politics
In America During the 1950's
Termination Policy
In 1953, the federal government announced that it would give up its responsibility for Native American tribes. This is known as the Termination Policy, it eliminated federal economic support, discontinued the reservation system, and distributed tribal lands among individual Native Americans. In response to this policy, the Bureau of Indian Affairs began a voluntary relocation program to help Native Americans resettle in cities. This policy was a dismal failure though. The Bureau of Indian Affairs helped relocate 35,000 Native Americans to urban areas during the 1950's but they were often unable to find jobs in their new locations because of poor training and racial prejudice.
Poverty Line
After World War II, the poverty line grew rapidly in the decaying inner cities, many suburban Americans remained unaware of it. Some refused to believe it even existed in the richest, most powerful nation on earth. Each year the government calculates the minimum amount of income needed to survive which is the poverty line. In 1959, the poverty line for a family of four was $2,973 and in 2000, it was $17,601.