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Exam Questions Fields Harvard

Harvard. Money, Banking, and Crises. PhD General Exam, 1930s

 

While economics course examination questions are relatively abundant at Harvard, field examinations for Ph.D. candidates are not so common. The following is transcribed from a carbon-copy found in a departmental folder labeled “1935-37-38-42”.  Judging from the questions, I might have guessed the exam would have come earlier than the late 1930s. At least for now we’ll have to say “exact year unknown”.

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General Examination for the Ph.D. Degree.
Money, Banking, and Crises.

  1. Briefly compare the experience of France and the United States with bimetallism. What lessons can be drawn from the experience of the two countries?
  2. What factors worked in favor of, and what against, the successful operation of the Bland-Allison Act during the 80’s?
  3. Compare the general organization of banking in England with that in Germany. Which seems to you the stronger? Why?
  4. What features of the Canadian banking system affect the elasticity of note issue in that country? How elastic is the Canadian bank note issue? How has the note issue been affected by the “rest fund fad”? How do you account for the “rest fund fad”?
  5. Describe the use of call loans in banking in the United States. To what extent and for what reasons are such call loans made? Are they an element of strength or weakness in our system? Why!
  6. What is meant by a free gold market? Are the following such: (a) London; (b) Paris; (c) Berlin; (d) New York? In each case, why or why not?
  7. How will the rate of sterling exchange in New York be affected by: (a) a slump on the New York Stock Exchange; (b) low call money rates in New York; (c) a financial panic in the United States?
  8. What are the three best index numbers for the study of general prices since 1895 in England and the United States? What are the points of strength and weakness in each?
  9. Describe and criticize at length Professor Fisher’s plan for stabilizing or standardizing the gold dollar.

 

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics. Correspondence & Papers 1902-1950 (UAV.349.10), Box 23, Folder “Course Outlines 1935-37-38-42”.