Reena Patel

Which Political Events Had the Greatest Impact on the Great Depression?

The Great Depression is considered the worst financial collapse in history. As with any event of significance, the causes of the Great Depression are debated. One approach of investigating the Great Depression is to consider how government policies and political events impacted the economy. This study investigates which political events had the greatest impact on the Great Depression. The multiple unknown structural breaks test identifies shifts in several time series data sets, which are then compared to significant political events. The results suggest that several political events precede structural breaks in the data. Such events include Hoover’s election in 1928 and England’s choice to abandon the gold standard in 1930. While not all breaks in the data can be explained by political events, many breaks in the data can be explained by policy changes or bank failures. This study provides insight into what events may have contributed to the Great Depression.

Fall 2008 UROP Proposal
Fall 2009 UROP Proposal
Summer 2009 SURP Proposal

2008 Symposium Poster 

Senior Thesis