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

The military was able to begin huge development projects in the Amazon jungle
which made the economy boomed.

2. What were some of the positive benefits of one-party rule in Mexico?

The government was able to pass the Constitution of 1917 and the new constitution
outlined a democracy and they promised reforms.

3. What effect did the Falklands war have on the military government in
Argentina?

The generals were able to agree to step down but in 1983, the country of Argentina
elected Raul Alfonsin as president and it was the first free election in 37 years.

4. Review the chart of Population Living in Poverty [a] in which three

countries of Latin America is the percentage of people living in poverty
the lowest?
-Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay

[b] In which three countries is the poverty rate highest?

- Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia

5. After reading this excerpt, in your opinion, has the military

dictatorships in L.A. nations been bad or good for the nations' growth?
Explain your answer in two paragraphs [minimum].
I think the military dictatorships in L.A. nations were pretty bad for the
nations growth because the military government made the decision to go to war
with Britain and ended up losing it. But even though Raul Alfonsin was elected
president as the first free election in 37 years, there was still economic problems in
the country. The government was able to freeze wages and cut back on social
programs which caused a decrease in the standard of living for these people in the
area. Also, when the Brazilians were protesting, the government decided to impose
censorship and the people didnt really agree with it. This caused for jail, torture,
and it sometimes killed government critics.

When years had passed, in the early 1980s, there was a slowdown in the
economy which would later be known as recession. From 1955-2000, the foreign
debt had increased while the inflation had decreased and was also steady. But three
centuries of colonial rule left many problems such as powerful militaries, economies
that were too dependent on a single crop, and large gaps between the rich and the
poor. These problems lasted for a long time and went into the modern era. This
shows that in my opinion I think that the military dictatorships in the Latin American
nations were bad for the nations growth.
While reading, define/explain each term or name below and write a
sentence regarding its significance to the topic:
A. Brasilia
- Kubitscheck built a new city that was in the countrys interior called Brasilia. The
nations foreign debt soared and the inflation increased.
B. Land reform
- breaking up large estates and distributing that land to peasants. In 1964, the army
of the Brazilians seized power in a military coup.
C. Standard of living
-level of material comfort. Since the government froze the wages and cut back on
social programs which caused a decline in their standard of living.
D. Recession
-slowdown in their economy. This happened to Brazil by the 1980s and this caused
generals to open up the political system.
E. PRI
-Institutional Revolutionary Party. In 1946, the main political party changed its name
to this and they ended up becoming the main force for political stability in Mexico.
F. NAFTANorth American Free Trade Agreement. They were the ones that removed trade
barriers between Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
G. Nationalization of an industryThe process of taking control of a private industry or private assets into public
ownership by a national government or state. This shows that they have power and
control by a government.
H. Welfare stateA government that tries to provide for all its citizens needs such as health,
education, and employment. This shows that the government really cares about
their citizens and want the best for them.