USA HISTORY

THE GREAT DEPRESSION 1929 1940

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
An underlying cause of the Great Depression was:
A
unequal distribution of income.
B
adoption of high federal income tax rates.
C
rapid increase in federal defense spending.
D
None of the above
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The Great Depression was partly caused by the great inequality between the rich who accounted for a third of all wealth and the poor who had no savings at all. As the economy worsened many lost their fortunes, and some members of high society were forced to curb their extravagant lifestyles.

Detailed explanation-2: -Ford would be earning over $530 million a year! This uneven distribution of income between the rich and the middle class grew throughout the 1920’s. A major reason for this large and growing gap between the rich and the working-class people was the increased manufacturing output throughout this period.

Detailed explanation-3: -Some of key factors behind the increase in within-country income inequality noted in the literature include technological progress, globalization, commodity price cycles, and domestic economic policies such as redistributive fiscal policies, labor and product market policies.

Detailed explanation-4: -Among the suggested causes of the Great Depression are: the stock market crash of 1929; the collapse of world trade due to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff; government policies; bank failures and panics; and the collapse of the money supply.

Detailed explanation-5: -Nearly two‐thirds of all studies and five out of six longitudinal studies reported a statistically significant positive relationship between income inequality and risk of depression; only one study reported a statistically significant negative relationship.

There is 1 question to complete.