What did the US government do to combat inflation during the war?

Answer 1

The Roosevelt administration set up a government agency known as the Office of Price Administration (OPA) which fixed prices for things that were in short supply and likely to inflate in cost, such as oils, meat, sugar, fuels, etc. The OPA also limited the production of certain items like vehicle tires, automobiles, trucks, etc. to the types and quantities required for the war effort. Civilians were generally not able to purchase such items from 1942 thru 1945, although there were exceptions for people whose services were considered critical to human welfare, such as doctors. The policies established by the government were called "price control," and they were generally effective, although there was an active "black market" patronized by unpatriotic, undisciplined people who considered themselves special.

Answer 2

There are a number of things that the US government did to combat wartime inflation. The man thing that they did was to fix the price of things and also imposed rationing through coupons instead of cash among other things.

Answer 3

There were several things that helped control wartime inflation. The sudden drop in unemployment due to the draft and ,massive expansion of industry was a major factor. Price freezes and rationing were used to great effect. Also, lack of available money greatly hindered inflation. There was a shortage of goods, but also a shortage of cash because the government did not resort to massive cash printings.

There were some questionable acts and economic "slight of hand" that helped as well. Many European nations had their gold reserves sent to America for safe keeping, and these reserves were "discreetly" counted as American assets, artificially raising the value of the dollar. The income promised through Lend-Lease and other programs was also counted as actual income, giving the appearance of a healthy trade balance when in fact very little money was changing hands. These sorts of economic "magic tricks" were only temporarily effective and in 1945 the government was dangerously close to being bankrupt, but they served their purposes for the vital short-term.

Answer 4

The government raised and extended the income tax to help combat Wartime Inflation. The government also encourage individuals to by war bonds.