HL: GREAT DEPRESSION AND THE AMERICAS ESSAY QUESTIONS

Once you have planned (see website for Dead Fish Frame) or written each essay you can scroll to the bottom of the document to see the comments from the IB marks scheme. Remember, these are only a selection of past paper questions, use your textbook and other materials to ensure that you have questions for all syllabus points.

PAST ESSAY QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the nature and effectiveness of the response to the Great Depression of either Hoover or R B Bennett.
2. With reference to one country in Latin America, examine the response of the government to the Great Depression.
3. Compare and contrast the policies of Herbert Hoover and Franklin D Roosevelt in addressing the problems of the Great Depression.
4. Examine the methods used to combat economic problems between 1929 and 1939 in one Latin American country.
5. To what extent did either Vargas in Brazil or the Concordancia in Argentina successfully resolve the problems caused by the Great Depression?
6. To what extent was Franklin D Roosevelt’s response to the Great Depression conservative rather than radical?
7. Discuss the causes of the Great Depression in one country of the Americas.
8. With reference to one Latin American country, examine the effectiveness of its response to economic problems between 1929 and 1939.
9. With reference to specific groups and individuals, analyse their reasons for opposition to the New Deal (1933–1939).
10. With reference to at least one country of the region, to what extent was the Wall Street Crash of 1929 a cause of the Great Depression?
11. How successfully did any one Latin American country deal with the challenges brought about by the Great Depression?
12. Assess the effectiveness of Mackenzie King’s economic policies during the Great Depression.
MARK SCHEMES
13. Discuss the nature and effectiveness of the response to the Great Depression of either Hoover or R B Bennett.
Candidates must offer a considered and balanced review of the response of one of the leaders to the Great Depression. There must be coverage of both aspects of the question; “nature” and “effectiveness”.
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Hoover (March 1929 to March 1933):
• Hoover took the view that public relief should originate from state and local, rather than national, government. He advocated voluntary measures (businesses to avoid cutting wages and unions to not strike). In spite of some compliance, the depression worsened.
• In June of 1930, Hoover approved the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act as a means to protect US businesses from foreign competition. US trade partners responded with equally severe rate increases and the world economy sank further into depression.
• By 1931, Hoover accepted that some federal intervention was necessary. He supported expansion of the Federal Farm Board (established in 1929) to help stabilize prices by holding back surplus grain and cotton from the market. The program proved inadequate due to limited funding, while overproduction of farm goods continued.
• Early in 1932, Hoover supported the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, a government-owned corporation to prop up banks, railroads and other key businesses. He believed the stabilization of these entities would have a “trickle-down” effect and support recovery. However, the depression reached its most severe stage in late 1932, leading to Franklin Roosevelt’s landslide victory.
R B Bennett (1930 to 1935):
• Bennett’s legal and business background led to a largely laissez-faire response to the
depression. He helped to achieve the Imperial Preference Policy agreement to reduce tariffs
among the members of the British Empire to boost sales of Canadian products. There was little positive impact.
• Bennett’s administration feared the concentration of unemployed single men within urban areas and established relief camps in remote regions. The separation of families, militaristic management, poor food and housing conditions, and a 20 cent per day wage brought little relief and much criticism. Conditions led to the “On to Ottawa” movement.
• In January 1935, Bennett reversed his position, calling for government “control and regulation” of the economy. Specific initiatives included progressive taxation, unemployment and health insurance, along with minimum wage and maximum hour laws. Public perception varied between opinion that the reforms were, “too little and too late” to others that thought they went Too far. There was little improvement in unemployment rates or gross national product (GNP).
The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. However, it is not exhaustive and no set answer is required.
14. With reference to one country in Latin America, examine the response of the government to the Great Depression.
Candidates must demonstrate a clear understanding whether government policies enabled the
selected country to mitigate the effects of the Depression.
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• Exports decreased significantly in all countries in the region, causing internal migration and a
rise in unemployment in urban centres. Governments implemented some measures of social
aid for the unemployed.
• Some governments, for example in Argentina and Brazil, adopted more centrally planned
economies that included protectionist policies to promote the substitution of imports and the
development of national industries.
• The adoption of import substitution policies (ISI) allowed government to improve their trade
balance. In Chile, for example the impact of the Depression on the more traditional economic
activities allowed for the successful development of new industries such as textiles and
chemicals.
• Most governments abandoned the gold standard. The impact of this policy was a rise in
inflation levels and a negative impact in the living conditions. Some countries, for example
Argentina, adopted authoritarian governments, which limited the social unrest.
• Some governments increased public spending and bureaucracy to curb unemployment.
Mexico, for example, promoted the expansion of its infrastructure.
• Some governments, for example in Bolivia, Colombia and Chile, defaulted their foreign debt.
Consequently, they experienced difficulties finding access to foreign capital. However, they
were able to reinvest the funds that would have been used to pay the foreign debt and interest
on that debt, and to develop their national economies (something they would have found difficult
to do in a different context).
The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. However, it is not exhaustive and no set answer is required.
13. Compare and contrast the policies of Herbert Hoover and Franklin D Roosevelt in addressing the problems of the Great Depression.
The focus of responses to this question should be on the methods used to address the problems of the Great Depression in the US in the period 1929 to 1939. Candidates should utilise a
comparative approach that examines the policies of both Hoover and Franklin D Roosevelt. This
could be done through a sequential or combined approach; however in any scenario, a reasoned
and supported conclusion would be expected.
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Comparisons:
• Both attempted to restore confidence in the banking system;
• Both established public works programmes to lessen unemployment;
• Both offered relief to aid the unemployed.
Contrasts:
• The implementation of programmes to carry out these policies was vastly different in scope and
quantity.
• The most basic difference between the two was in their philosophy: Hoover’s belief in Rugged
Individualism did not allow for vast government intervention, whereas FDR’s classification of the
Depression as an enemy made government action a necessity.
• This difference resulted in the White House Conferences under Hoover in which suggestions
were made, while under Roosevelt the passage of the National Industry Recovery Act (NIRA,
1933) regulated the economy. Hoover’s approach was rather static compared to the dynamic,
experimental approach of Roosevelt.
• Contrasts could also be made regarding direct relief from the federal government under
Roosevelt against only indirect relief through the states under Hoover. The size of the
programmes would also be a difference as would the economic reforms enacted by Roosevelt.
The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. However, it is not exhaustive and no set answer is required.
14. Examine the methods used to combat economic problems between 1929 and 1939 in one Latin American country.
In their responses, candidates must select one relevant country and identify the responses that
were employed to alleviate, reduce and, where appropriate, eradicate economic problems during
the set period. They may choose to commence their response by outlining the nature and extent
of economic problems before exploring the types and effectiveness of responses to those
problems. Responses should reach a supported conclusion about how successfully the economic
problems were combatted in their chosen country.
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• Those candidates who elect to separately identify problems caused by the depression may refer
to a number of factors, dependent on which country they choose. Example issues include: a
shortage of imported goods; a sharp decline in foreign trade and credit; a crisis of the traditional
agro-exporting model (for example the coffee crisis in Brazil); unemployment. The depth of the
crisis is also dependent on the country chosen, for example, by 1931 Brazil was forced to
suspend the payments of its foreign debt.
• In terms of responses, some candidates may focus on Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI)
and examine how ISI aimed to reduce dependence on international partners by protecting and
developing national industries. Methods of ISI may include: a larger degree of state intervention
in the economy; state-planned import-substitutions; subsidization of vital industries, the
nationalization of oil and mineral resources; the rise in tariffs and quotas.
• Other policies may include: the promotion of public works to reduce unemployment; land
reforms (for example Mexico); for Argentina the nature and effects of the Roca-Runciman Pact
(1933) with Britain may be addressed.
• In terms of success in dealing with economic pressures, those candidates who focus on Brazil
or Argentina could emphasize that the former’s industrial production doubled between 1931 and
1936, while in the latter, unemployment fell and the economy began to improve after 1934 with
production of consumer goods rising 45 per cent in 7 years.
The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. However, it is not exhaustive and no set answer is required.
13. To what extent did either Vargas in Brazil or the Concordancia in Argentina successfully resolve the problems caused by the Great Depression?
The question demands that candidates identify the problems caused by the Great Depression,
describe the measures the governments of Argentina or Brazil adopted in response to the crisis,
and make an assessment about their effectiveness or limitations. Answers will vary according to
the selected country, though in all cases social, political as well as economic solutions could be
discussed.
Problems common to both countries may include: their export-oriented economies; dependence
on foreign imports; the lack of sufficient industrialization; the impact of the collapse of foreign
markets (the decline in exports); revenue problems; the plunge in prices of raw materials and
foodstuffs; the fall of foreign investment; demands for increasing state action and state control; the inability of the existing governments to manage the crisis.
In relation to the ways in which the governments addressed the problems caused by the
Depression candidates may discuss: protectionist policies and other forms of government
intervention in the economy (such as juntas reguladoras – regulatory boards); centralization of
authority; increase in government spending; the introduction of Import Substitution Industrialization,
ISI (to reduce dependency); the development of non-traditional sectors; fiscal reform and exchange controls; public works’ programmes; relations with the working classes. Candidates should show accurate knowledge of programmes in several areas such as agriculture, job creation, social eform and fiscal reform.
The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. However, it is not exhaustive and no set answer is required.
14. To what extent was Franklin D Roosevelt’s response to the Great Depression conservative rather than radical?
The question requires candidates to establish a definition and/or criteria by which the terms
“conservative” and “radical” will be applied and evaluated. For the purposes of the markscheme,
“conservative” is defined as those actions which maintained the status quo and “radical” is defined as those actions which introduced fundamental change. Some candidates may use the term “liberal”, rather than “radical” in assessing Franklin D Roosevelt’s (FDR’s) policies. In these cases, examiners should consider the merit of the evidence and argument supporting “fundamental change”, rather than the terminology applied by the candidate. It is important that these terms are placed in context to the issues and perspectives of the 1930s.
Conservative response: in response to the banking crisis, Roosevelt opposed nationalization of
the banking industry, instead applying regulation and banking insurance that preserved the US
private banking system; FDR did not support direct handouts but instead created work relief
programmes (such as the Civilian Conservation Corp and Works Progress Administration); rather than distribute surplus food, his agricultural programme (Agricultural Adjustment Administration) raised farmers’ prices by reducing production (in spite of significant hunger and malnutrition); in response to criticism as to first term deficits, he cut spending going into 1936 (resulting in the “Roosevelt Recession” of 1937 that delayed the recovery); while social security was implemented in 1935, it provided very limited benefits and excluded the majority of workers; some historians argue that FDR’s New Deal preserved capitalism to the extent possible and avoided revolution and more radical extremes.
Radical response: Roosevelt often used executive authority (idea of the “imperial presidency”),
rather than wait for Congressional approval as illustrated by his declaration of a “banking holiday” and removal of the US from the gold standard; the creation of the National Recovery
Administration was intended to reduce competition through a system of price fixing in order to both support the growth of unions and achieve a “living wage” for workers (declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court); the Tennessee Valley Authority was perhaps the most revolutionary act of the New Deal and included many aspects of a planned economy as it brought the government into competition with private enterprise in the production of electrical power; FDR, in response to adverse rulings from the Supreme Court, sought to alter the separation of powers doctrine by “packing” the Supreme Court with judges more amenable to his programmes; some historians contend that Roosevelt paved the way for later expansion of social welfare and entitlement programmes as well as massive expansion of the federal bureaucracy and power through his New Deal programmes.