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Paper #102227 :: Bennett's Policies Great Depression
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An analysis of the policies of R.B. Bennett in Canada after the Great Depression.

Written in 2008; 1,928 words; 13 sources; MLA; $ 61.95

Paper Summary:

This paper describes how the Great Depression was a calamity that changed the lives of all Canadians. The paper relates that the government of R.B. Bennett instituted a number of new polices, and although widely discredited at the time, laid the foundations for economic recovery and Canada's modern welfare state. The paper also studies the beliefs and motivations of Bennett as an individual, and how his responses hastened the end of The Great Depression and the beginnings of a better life for Canadians.

From the Paper:

"The Great Depression was a calamity that changed the lives of all Canadians. In the three decades prior to the Great Depression, Canada had one of the world's fastest growing economies, experiencing only a brief downturn near the end of the Great War (Morton). The government of R.B. Bennett instituted a number of new polices, including the creation of work relief camps, increasing trade tariffs and creating a Third National Policy, known as the New Policy. The immediate effects of the initiatives were limited by factors outside of Bennett's control and their evaluation must be informed by an understanding of the environment in which they occurred. The prevailing attitudes of the times, a collapsing and changed economy, and Federal/Provincial squabbling over division of powers limited the effectiveness of the responses and created a mistaken belief that the Bennett government was ineffective. These policies, although widely discredited at the time, laid the foundations for economic recovery and Canada's modern welfare state.
"The policies of the Bennett government were shaped, in large part, by the attitudes and beliefs of the establishment. Many people, including the policymakers of the day, had experienced economic recessions, but these downturns in the economy had been relatively brief compared to the severity and duration of the Depression. In the run-up to the election, the previous Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, had refused to provide any federal aid to the provinces, believing the crisis would quickly pass (Bets). It is also important to note that the processes of urbanization and industrialization were of fairly recent origin in 1930, and the prevailing assumption that unemployment was a personal failing proved resilient even as the creation of a modern economy called such precepts into question. The policy responses laid out in The New Deal and the settling up of labour camps was an attempt to provide support and an opportunity for people to lift themselves out of the financial crisis. Financial assistance for those in need was seen, at the time, as a disincentive to finding work and a burden on the economy. Without work, many of the unemployed men gathered in cities seeking employment of any sort. The government feared that this mass of unemployed citizens would be fertile ground for the Communist party and the unions. The army chief, General Andy McNaughton warned Bennett that "In their ragged platoons, here are the prospective members of what Marx called the 'industrial reserve army, the storm troopers of the revolution'." The Bolshevik revolution in Russia, the Winnipeg General Strike, and ongoing labour unrest in the country were a growing concern for Bennett (Safarian). There was believed to be a need to ensure that the unemployed were not able to gather and mobilize in large numbers. Throughout his term in office, Bennett struggled with a desire to assist those in need. He was burdened by an unwillingness to enrich those he believed to be undeserving due to personal failings and by a fear of Communists fomenting revolution amongst the unemployed vagrants. Although evaluated from a modern perspective, his policies often exacerbated suffering and fomented dissent, they were informed by a need to create personal responsibility and ensure the safety of Canadian society."

Tags: economy government recovery

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