American consumerism is simply the belief that all goods should be purchased from a local manufacturer or distributor within the state, depending on the supposition that this manufacturer will provide the best quality at the least possible cost. Some of these beliefs are true and others are false. As a culture, we have built an enormous value system based upon our nationalistic pride in our nation's success and freedom. Many of these nationalistic impulses can be found in our tax policy that favors a strong economy where taxes are low and products easily accessible to all citizens. In the current climate this means that many products that have been made at home by ordinary citizens are paying more in taxes than do those which are imported from abroad. See how you can make fun of consumerism on this website. This contemporary trend in modern American consumerism must be analyzed closely in order to determine its root causes. The most common belief in our society is that mass production usually results in lower prices for consumer goods and higher profit margins for manufacturers. While it is true that there are benefits to modern American consumerism in terms of increased sales and profits, the opposite is also true. It has been argued that the widespread use of mechanized and automated methods of production has resulted in the substitution of machines for human workers which has decreased the opportunities available to average workers. This decrease in employment opportunities has significantly affected the purchasing power of the American consumer. As a result, this type of modern consumerism has been accompanied by numerous reports on the economic state of the American economy, most of which are strikingly negative. Mass production methods of production have also resulted in a shift of the consumer market share from goods such as clothing and electronics to goods such as financial services, health care, and entertainment. These services have been viewed by previous generations as luxury items that only the affluent could afford. As a result, mass produced consumer goods such as televisions, computers, and other technological goods have been priced far above the costs of production which has effectively reduced the affordability of these goods for the average consumer. The result has been a dramatic reduction in the purchasing power of American citizens, particularly those who live on fixed incomes such as the average family. The reduction in purchasing power has also translated into a dramatic reduction in the amount of goods and services available for purchase by the average American citizen. In order to address this issue in the 21st century American consumer has turned to conspicuous consumption. For instance, the typical American family no longer needs a two car family sedan, as they can easily obtain a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle. Likewise, families no longer need to purchase a large number of branded designer clothing items as they can easily purchase products produced by companies that specialize in producing affordable, low-cost clothing. All of these changes have resulted in the diminution of the American consumer's dependency on conspicuous consumption as a means of increasing their income. If you are asking yourself this question, do I have enough stuff for now? find out more here. Unlike the development of mass production, the changes that occurred in the consumption of American goods and services began in the late stages of the 18th century. At that time, the buying power of American citizens was largely determined by the existence of a black market for manufactured goods. While the sale of legal tender was the primary mechanism through which goods and services were purchased by Americans, the existence of a black market allowed for a significant degree of variation in prices between different goods and services offered by different merchants. If an item was expensive to produce in the illicit black market, it would become affordable to consumers when purchasing in the legal tender market. Thus, the purchase of large scale produced articles became extremely difficult while simultaneously reducing the purchasing power of American citizens. In the years following the Panic of 18th Century, an anti-consumerism movement arose which focused upon the creation of a more "American" standard of living. By creating a more "American" standard of living, the anti-consumerservatives hoped to reduce the influence of the "American Dream" within the American economy. They succeeded in this task somewhat successfully as the creation of numerous new industries related to manufacturing helped to mitigate the effects of the Panic and the resulting decline in consumer spending. However, efforts to reverse the growing reduction in consumer spending in the decades following the Panic failed as a result of the increased wealth of American citizens, which negated the anti-conservationist viewpoint of the early Americanisers. Knowledge is power and so you would like to top up what you have learned in this article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Culture.
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