To combat wartime inflation, the U.S. government did all of the following except:

• A. Reduce government spending on the war effort
• B. Increase taxes
• C. Impose wage and price controls
• D. Sell war bonds to the public

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of wartime inflation, which typically occurs due to increased government spending and demand pressures during a war, leading to rising prices.
2. Step 2: Review common government policies used to combat inflation, such as increasing taxes to reduce disposable income, imposing wage and price controls to directly limit inflation, and selling war bonds to absorb excess money from the public.
3. Step 3: Analyze each option to see if it aligns with anti-inflationary measures: increasing taxes reduces demand, wage and price controls limit inflation directly, and selling war bonds reduces money in circulation.
4. Step 4: Consider the option 'Reduce government spending on the war effort'—this would typically decrease demand and inflation, but during wartime, governments usually maintain or increase spending rather than reduce it.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the exception (the action not taken to combat inflation) is 'Reduce government spending on the war effort' because wartime spending is generally sustained or increased, not reduced.