Interwar Years: Government Responses to the Depression

Which Prime Minister had the Best Response to the Great Depression and was the Response Adequate?

The ethical question behind this lesson is the extent to which a government is responsible for assisting the people in times of dire need. To provide a clear focus and to personalize the question, this lesson asks students to decide which Prime Minster (Mackenzie King, or R.B. Bennett) best responded to the Depression and whether that response was adequate. In answering this question, students should take into account the historical context and perspectives.