1. What role did the military play in shaping the economy of Brazil?

Although military dictators were harsh in Brazil, they emphasized on boosting the economy.
They pushed for a better and more powerful economy for the people and the nation. The military
began the plans for foreign investments and huge development projects in the Amazon. With
the help of the military the economy was stronger than they could ever imagine Brazil to have.
However, recession eventually hit and as quickly as the economy rose, it plummeted, dragging
along the standard of living.
2. What were some of the positive benefits of one-party rule in Mexico?
One of the biggest benefits of the one-party rule was the stability in the economy. Also, life for
peasants and workers were improved drastically.
3. What effect did the Falklands war have on the military government in Argentina?
The loss in the battle of obtaining the Falkland Islands played a detrimental event in the power
of the military dictators and a final blow. After losing the battle they were completely disgraced
causing the generals to step down from power.
4. Review the chart of Population Living in Poverty
[a] In which three countries of Latin America is the percentage of people
in poverty the lowest? Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina.

living

[b] In which three countries is the poverty rate highest? Bolivia, Ecuador, and
Columbia.
5. After reading this excerpt, in your opinion, has the military dictatorships in L.A.
nation's been bad or good for the nation's growth?
After reading this text chapter, I thought the military dictatorships affected the Latin American
nations both positively and negatively. Looking at a positive point of view, the military
dictatorships were a quick short term boom in the economy. The boost that it gave to the nations
was much needed and essential to the new independent nations. It showed that they were able
to survive and thrive while being an independent nation. They may not have been able to do
that without falling into civil war or economic despair.
Along with the benefits of military dictatorships, there were also downsides to them. Although
they were improving the nations economy, the people were being neglected. The government
cut down wages and the citizens standard of living decreased. Also, when the citizens decided
to protest, the dictatorship became even harsher causing censorship and abuse.
Finally, in many of the nations with military dictatorships, there were very bad events that took
place. During the time of dictatorship, citizens were jailed, tortured, and even killed for no
reason other than standing up for their rights. In conclusion, I think that the nations that had
military dictatorships benefited as a nation by sticking through the tough times of neglection. It
really proved that they could rise up from being at the bottom.
a. Brazilia- The capital of Brazil that was built to divert people away from the coast and spread

the population throughout Brazil.

b. Land reform- The action of breaking up large estates and distributing that land to peasants.
c. Standard of living- The level of material comfort, which is judged by the amount of goods
people have.
d. Recession- A slowdown or halt in the economy.
e. PRI- The main political party that was once called Institutional Revolutionary Party.
f. NAFTA- A treaty called the North American Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA removed trade
barriers between Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
g. Nationalization of an industry- When they kick out the foreign companies to create only
state-run industries.
h. Welfare state- A government that attempts to provide for all its citizens needs including
health, education, and employment.