Question

Describe the basic goals behind the US government-created War Production Board and Office of War Mobilization that were both created shortly after we officially entered the war.

a) To decrease war production and conserve resources
b) To increase consumer goods production and boost the economy
c) To efficiently allocate resources for war production and mobilize the country for war
d) To reduce taxes and government spending

Answer 1

The War Production Board and Office of War Mobilization were established to efficiently coordinate resources and increase war production while managing the economy to support the US's involvement in WWII.

Step-by-step explanation:

The basic goals behind the US government-created War Production Board (WPB) and Office of War Mobilization were to efficiently allocate resources for war production and mobilize the country for war (option c). This encompassed a series of measures including offering tax incentives, loans, and guaranteed profits to incentivize businesses to produce military goods, seizing control of commodities to ensure the availability of raw materials, and the implementation of price controls to manage inflation and protect consumers. The federal government's unprecedented intervention sought to maximize industrial output while maintaining a balance between military demands and civilian needs.

Mobilizing the economy for war required transitioning from a predominantly laissez-faire approach to a more controlled economy, where the government played an active role in setting prices, standardizing production, and rationing goods, while still preserving the competitiveness of private enterprise. The WPB and other programs like the Office of Price Administration served as the backbone of this transition, securing the production capabilities needed to support the war effort. As a result, despite some shortages and rationing, the US was able to achieve significant increases in military production without severe hardships on the home front.