Answer:
Economy:
In both decades, the United States experienced a postwar economic boom, with an accompanying surge in cultural optimism. The 1920s saw urban dwellers outnumber rural dwellers for the first time, and saw the beginnings of modern American consumer culture. In both decades, there was a boom in productivity following the return of troops from overseas. In the 1920s, African-American migration to northern industrial cities resulted in an increased labor force, allowing corporate profits to skyrocket, fueling the stock market boom. In the 1950s, the destruction of much of the industrialized world during World War II left the US as the undisputed economic leader. By 1960, the US accounted for 40% of the entire world’s GDP. This fueled an even greater boom in consumerism than had been seen in the 20s.
While the prosperity of the 1920s had caused urbanization, the 1950s was the age of sub-urbanization.
Culture:
The 1920s was the Age of Jazz, while Rock n’Roll dominated the 1950s. Despite this, the 1920s were considerably more fragmented socially than the 1950s. People tried to break out of social norms, especially concerning clothing and sexuality. Not coincidentally, the 1920s saw the first widespread use of birth control. At the same time, there was considerable reactionary force in the 1920s as well, including a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment (especially against Catholic immigrants). A rural backlash was also behind the advent of Prohibition in the 1920s.
The 1950s saw a much more homogeneous culture in the US. Post World-War II, both a newfound optimism in American values as well as the looming Cold War prompted an atmosphere of conformity and conservatism that was not nearly as strong in the 1920s.
The booming economy smoothed over social tensions such as Civil Rights, which stalled until the more turbulent 60s.
Politics:
Much of the 1950s in the US was dominated by the birth of “modern Republicanism” under Dwight D. Eisenhower. Coming post World War II and post Korean War, Eisenhower served as a political moderate, making him a perfect fit for the consensus atmosphere of the 1950s. He kept everything pretty much as it was, although Democrats tried to expand the New Deal and conservatives sought its repeal.
The 1920s were also dominated by Republicans. At that point, the Democrat Party was mostly isolated to the South, and the Republican Party was the party of business. Hence the famous misquote from Calvin Coolidge, “the business of America is business.”
Coolidge himself was one of the most conservative politicians to ever be President, and is seen as the role model of modern conservatives
