STAAR EOC US History Questions: Great Depression / New Deal

Which of the following was a defining characteristic of the United States during the 1930s?

• A sharp increase in the power given to state governments.

• An extended period of economic depression.

• The adoption of an interventionist foreign policy.

• The formation of a national Civil Rights movement.

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.

Which of these factors contributed most to the Dust Bowl?

• Flash flooding and intense deforestation.

• Prolonged drought and poor farming practices.

• High winds and railroad construction.

• Severe heat and rapid suburban development.

What was the main reason the federal government built this dam?

• To provide resources for a growing population.

• To facilitate the transportation of goods in the region.

• To increase tourism in the region.

• To prevent the Colorado River from drying up.

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.

Lines like the one shown above were partially the result of —

• Growing demand for payment of military pensions.

• A sudden increase in agricultural exports.

• The passage of the Selective Service Act.

• Widespread business failures.

Which of the following best completes this diagram?

• Led to a decrease in U.S. international trade.

• Helped stabilize the U.S. economy.

• Strengthened U.S. relationships overseas.

• Led to a decline in U.S. unemployment.

Which of the following best completes this graphic organizer?

• Increase in consumer spending.

• Overspeculation in the stock market.

• Decrease in military spending.

• Government subsidization of agriculture.

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.