STAAR U.S. History Questions: Great Depression (Updated)

What was one factor that helped turn the Great Plains into the Dust Bowl in the 1930s?

• Paying farmers to plant native grasses.

• Increased demand for tobacco after World War I.

• Numerous tornadoes occurring in the region.

• Intense drought in the region.

What was the goal of the actions on this timeline?

• To ensure deposits into customer savings accounts

• To increase government regulation of business

• To end speculation in the stock market

• To stabilize the national economy

Which statement best explains how bank failures contributed to the Great Depression?

• People lost their savings because the government did not insure bank deposits.

• Business could not be done when President Franklin Roosevelt declared a bank holiday.

• The interest rates on bank loans were too high.

• Foreign investors did not invest enough in U.S. banks.

The economic conditions described in this excerpt contributed to —

• A global economic depression.

• An increase in foreign investments in the U.S. market.

• The adoption of the gold standard.

• An increase in free market activity.

Which of the following contributed most to the situation described in this excerpt?

• The rise of corporate monopolies.

• Strict banking regulations and high income tax rates.

• The influx of immigrants into urban areas.

• High unemployment and widespread home foreclosures.

Which New Deal agency was created to specifically serve this population?

• Federal Housing Administration.

• Securities and Exchange Commission.

• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

• Social Security Administration.

How did the creation of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation change the nature of banking in the United States?

• The government began to guarantee bank deposits.

• Depositors could transfer investments without penalties.

• Depositors were guaranteed minimum interest rates on savings accounts.

• The government required taxpayers to open savings accounts.

Which of the following was a significant effect of New Deal legislation?

• Income tax rates fell to historic lows.

• The federal government took on new roles.

• The regulation of intrastate trade was transferred to the states.

• States became the sole enforcers of immigration law.

The goals of these New Deal agencies support the conclusion that the New Deal —

• Gave the federal government a larger role in the day-to-day welfare of its citizens.

• Forced citizens to participate in federal programs .

• Gave preference to state-run agencies over federally run agencies.

• Forced the federal government to adopt isolationist foreign policies.

Some of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs were declared unconstitutional when the Supreme Court held that they —

• Required U.S. cooperation with foreign nations .

• Prevented equal access to the judicial system.

• Granted privileges to religious organizations.

• Infringed on powers reserved to the states.