VOCAB

Task #2

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
g. Nationalization of an industry- kicking 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

..

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 La tin America is the
percentage of people living in poverty the
lowest?
Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina
[b] In which three countries i the poverty rate highest?
Bolivia, Ecuador, and Columbia

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
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 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 and 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 dark stories
that went along with them. During the time of dictatorship, citizens
were jailed, tortured, and even killed for no reason other than
standing up for their rights. So in conclusion, I think that the
nations that had military dictatorships benefited as a nation by
sticking through the tough times of neglection.