Was there a second Gilded Age? Considering how similar the 1870’s were to the 1980’s, calling the 1980’s a second Gilded Age could be reasonable. The 70’s and the 80’s were both times of excessive spending. Money was spent in different ways, but it sent the economy into major debt in both periods of time. In the 70’s, “the country enjoyed abundant natural resources, a growing supply of labor, an expanding market for manufactured goods, and the availability of capital investment” (Foner, 557). On the other hand, in the 80’s money was spent in businesses and corporations. The 70’s was more focused on individual spending, whereas the 80’s was more focused on money as a whole. Money was spent on real- estate, corporate buyouts, and business purchases