The Office of Price Administration set up a _______ system to dictate how much of a good Americans could possess at a given time.

• A. Rationing
• B. Quotas
• C. Tariffs
• D. Subsidies

Answer: (A)

Rationing is the deliberate limit on how much of a scarce good a person can buy or own during a shortage. In World War II, the Office of Price Administration used rationing to manage limited supplies and keep distribution fair as factories focused on war production. People received ration books with stamps that allowed only a set amount of items like sugar, meat, and gasoline each week. This direct control over how much individuals could possess is exactly what the question describes.

Quotas limit how much is produced or imported, not how much a consumer can hold. Tariffs are taxes on imports. Subsidies are payments to producers to support or encourage production.