2021 AP Exam Administration Sample Student Responses - AP World History: Modern Long Essay Question 4

2021

AP

®

World History:

Modern

Sample Student Responses

and Scoring Commentary

Inside:

Long Essay Question 4

Scoring Guideline

Student Samples

Scoring Commentary

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AP® World History: Modern 2021 Scoring Guidelines

Question 4: Long Essay Question, Economic Responses to the Great Depression

6 points

General Scoring Notes

• Except where otherwise noted, each point of these rubrics is earned independently; for example, a student could earn a point for evidence

without earning a point for thesis/claim.

•

Accuracy: The components of these rubrics require that students demonstrate historically defensible content knowledge. Given the timed

nature of the exam, essays may contain errors that do not detract from their overall quality, as long as the historical content used to advance

the argument is accurate.

•

Clarity: Exam essays should be considered first drafts and thus may contain grammatical errors. Those errors will not be counted against a

student unless they obscure the successful demonstration of the content knowledge, skills, and practices described below.

In the twentieth century, governments responded to economic crises in various ways.

Develop an argument that evaluates the extent to which governments (other than the United States government) changed their economic policies in

r

esponse to the Great Depression.

AP® World History: Modern 2021 Scoring Guidelines

Reporting

Catego

ry

Scoring Criteria

Row A

Thesis/Claim

(0–1 points)

0 points

Does not meet the criteria for one point.

1 point

Responds to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim that establishes a line of

reasoning.

Decision Rules and Scoring Notes

Responses that do not earn this point:

• Are not historically defensible.

• Only restate or rephrase the prompt.

• Do not respond to the prompt.

• Do not establish a line of reasoning.

• Are overgeneralized.

Re

sponses that earn this point:

• Provide a historically defensible thesis or claim about the extent to which

governments (other than the United States government) changed their economic

policies in response to the Great Depression, with some indication of the reasoning for

making that claim.

Note: The thesis does not need to mention two separate nations.

Ex

amples that do not earn this point:

Do not focus on the topic of the prompt

• “The economic crisis of the Great Depression facilitated the rise

of fas

cist regimes such as Hitler’s Nazi Germany.”

Provide a historically defensible claim, but do not establish a line

of reasoning

• “Stock market speculation was one of the main causes of the

Great Depression.”

Provide a claim that is not historically defensible

• “Governments across the world joined in the Bretton Woods

Conference to create the IMF and the World Bank in response

to the Great Depression.”

Examples that earn this point:

Establish a line of reasoning that evaluates the topic of the prompt

• “Although many governments in the West made some changes to their economic

policies by introducing socialist measures, most continued to rely on free-market policies

to guide economic development.”

Establish a line of reasoning that evaluates the topic of the prompt with analytic

Category

Scoring Criteria

Row D

Analysis and

Reasoning

(0–2 points)

0 points

Does not meet the criteria

for one point.

1 point

Uses historical reasoning (e.g., comparison, causation,

continuity and change) to frame or structure an

argument that addresses the prompt.

2 points

Demonstrates a complex understanding of the historical development

that is the focus of the prompt, using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or

modify an argument that addresses the question.

Decision Rules and Scoring Notes

Responses that do not

earn points:

• May include evidence

but offer no reasoning

to connect the

evidence to an

argument.

• May assert the use of

historical reasoning but

do not use it to frame

or structure an

argument.

Responses that earn 1 point:

• Must demonstrate the use of historical reasoning to

explain how governments changed their economic

policies in response to the Great Depression.

Responses that earn 2 points:

May demonstrate a complex understanding in a variety of ways, such as:

• Explaining the nuance of an issue by analyzing multiple variables.

• Explaining both similarity and difference, or explaining both continuity

and change, or explaining multiple causes, or explaining both causes

and effects.

• Explaining relevant and insightful con en ctions within and across

pe ir ods.

• Confirming the validity of an argument by corroborating multiple

perspectives across themes.

• Qualifying or modifying an argument by considering diverse or

alternative views or evidence.

Examples that do not earn

points:

Provide

evidence but offer

no reasoning to connect

the evidence

to an

argument

• “Unemployment

increased significantly

during the Great

Depression.”

Using a historical thinking skill to frame or structure an

argument could include:

• Explaining why the Great Depression led many

governments to enact or expand their social welfare

programs.

• Explaining how

changes in government economic

policies in response to the Great

Depression

changed the global economy in the 1930s.

• Comparing how the Great Depression led to

different or similar policy responses by different

governments.

Example of acceptable use of historical reasoning:

• “Some countries responded to the Great Depression

by embracing nationalism, fascism, and militarism,

such as

in Germany and Japan.

Germany expanded

its military and pursued

economic self-sufficiency.”

(Compares responses to the Great Depression

enacted by several different

governments

and

connects the reaction to a change)

Demonstrating complex understanding might include any of the

following, if appropriate elaboration is provided:

• Explaining the nuance of an issue by arguing that many governments

adopted social welfare programs in response to the Great Depression

but tailored them to fit within an overall free-market economic

system.

For example, a response could discuss the welfare policies

pursued by Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, which were aimed at

limiting or abolishing the strength of independent labor unions, while

pursuing key

goals of the Fascist and Nazi regimes such as

encouraging

pro-natalist social policies. (Explains nuance, considers both causes

and effects, and

qualifies an argument)

• Explaining relevant and insightful connections across time and space,

such as explaining how the experiences of the Great Depression

encouraged

governments to pursue new economic policies in the

aftermath of the Depression. For

example,

a response could argue

that the partial success of Keynesian economic policies to address

the

effects of the Great Depression led Western European governments

(for example,

the British Labor government) to be more open to

the

idea of directing economic growth through planning, nationalization

of some industries, and expanding the welfare

state in the aftermath

of the Second World War.

(Explains relevant and insightful

connections)

AP® World History: Modern 2021 Scoring Guidelines

•

Qualifying an argument by demonstrating that the responses of many

governments to the Great Depression evolved over time, for example

in Great Britain the government initially adopted measures to raise

taxes, hold down wages, and support the Gold Standard before

switching course and adopting a more active role in promoting

employment and wage stabilization measures as well as deficit

spending. (Qualifies an argument)

• Corroborating an argument by demonstrating how governments’

responses to the Great Depression co-evolved with changing

economic theories, such as the transition from free-market laissez-

faire philosophy to Keynesian economics. (Corroborates an argument,

considers both causes and effects)

Additional Notes:

• This demonstration of complex understanding must be part of the argument, not merely a phrase or reference.

1 of 2

4A

2 of 2

4A

1 of 2

4B

2 of 2

4B

1 of 1

4C

AP

®

World History: Modern 2021 Scoring Commentary

Question 4 — Long Essay Question

Note: Student samples are quoted verbatim and may contain spelling and grammatical errors.

Overview

This question addressed Topic 7.4: Economy in the Interwar Period and Topic 7.6: Causes of World War II of

the A

P World History Curriculum and Framework. The question was open geographically to allow responses

from any nation outside of the United States, though the vast majority of responses focused on developments

in Germany and Russia. The question was designed to allow students to demonstrate their understanding of

the Great Depression and its global impacts, with the specific exclusion of the United States helping to focus

responses on global issues. With the close proximity to the First World War and the Second World War, two

topics about which students tend to have extensive knowledge, the question provided opportunities for ample

content and context. Students were expected to present a historically defensible thesis, describe a historical

context relevant to the prompt, use at least two specific examples of evidence relevant to the topic of the

prompt, use that evidence to support an argument in response to the prompt, use historical reasoning skills to

frame or structure their argument, and demonstrate a complex understanding of the historical development

that is the focus of the prompt. Students were able to use any historical thinking skill to demonstrate this

understanding, and we saw successful responses that compared the impact of the Great Depression on two

areas (most commonly a comparison of Russia and Germany), discussed how specific elements of the Great

Depression (such as inflation) led to specific government responses, or responses that addressed how

government responses changed as the twentieth century progressed.

Sample: 4A

Thesis: 1

Contextualization: 1

Evidence: 2

Analysis and Reasoning: 2

Total Score: 6

A.

Thesis/Claim (0−1 points): 1

Th

e response earned the point for the last two sentences of the introductory paragraph, where it states that

some

governments “changed their economic policies in response to the Great Depression by finding

interesting ways to increase employment rates,” while other governments’ “economic policies were not

altered.”

B

. Contextualization (0−1 points): 1

Th

e response earned the point in the introductory paragraph for discussing “the inability of numerous

coun

tries to pay off their debts, which accumulated as a result of World War I.”

C

. Evidence (0−2 points): 2

Th

e response earned 1 point for identifying Hitler’s “violation of the Versailles Treaty” and his “weapons

produ

ction.” The response also provides numerous additional pieces of relevant evidence throughout.

The response earned the second evidence point by using Hitler’s violation of the Treaty of Versailles and

incr

ease in weapons production to support an argument that Hitler’s economic policies in response to the

Depression led to the creation of new jobs. The factually accurate discussion of Russia’s continuation of the

Five-Year Plans also provides examples of evidence being used to support an argument.

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AP

®

World History: Modern 2021 Scoring Commentary

Question 4 — Long Essay Question (continued)

D. Analysis and Reasoning (0−2 points): 2

The response earned the point for historical reasoning by structuring a solid causation argument in the case of

Ger

many’s response to the Great Depression. In addition, the response provides a comparison of the response

in Germany to a lack of a response in Russia.

The response earned the point for demonstrating complex understanding through its nuanced analysis of the

lack of an international response to German militarism in the context of the recovery after the First World

War. In addition, the response provides additional analysis of a government response in its discussion of

Russia’s economic policies being a reaction to Lenin’s NEP and not necessarily to the Great Depression.

Sample: 4B

Thesis: 0

Contextualization: 1

Evidence: 2

An

alysis and Reasoning: 0

Total Score: 3

A. Thesis/Claim (0−1 points): 0

Th

e response attempts a thesis in the first paragraph but did not earn the point, as it does not move past a

rep

hrasing of the prompt. No specific economic policy is identified.

B. C

ontextualization (0−1 points): 1

Th

e response earned the point at the beginning of the second paragraph with its discussion of the Treaty of

Versailles’ impact on the German economy. The response continues by identifying hyperinflation and the loss

of colonies as additional elements that negatively impacted Germany.

C. Evidence (0−2 points): 2

The response earned 1 po

int in the third paragraph, where it states that “[a] fascist government was put in

charge” and in the fourth paragraph by where it states that “[t]he Nazis lowered the unemployment rates of

Germany by creating fine paying jobs.” There are additional pieces of evidence regarding Nazi economic

policies further into the response.

The response earned the second evidence point in the third and fourth paragraphs, by using the evidence

prov

ided to support claims that the German Nazi government “allowed for economic help and assistance to the

struggling nation” and that “[w]here as government assistance and interference on the economic side was not

used widely before, the Nazis were known for doing so.”

D. Analysis and Reaso

ning (0−2 points): 0

The response did not earn the point for historical reasoning because its arguments are one-d

imensional and

focused exclusively on German responses to the Depression. While addressing more than one country is not

necessary for answering the question, many of the usual pathways to earning the historical reasoning point

include comparing different governments’ responses or addressing global impacts of the economic changes

brought about by the Great Depression.

The response did not earn the point for demonstrating a complex understanding, as it does not offer a complex

or nu

anced analysis or make insightful connections to other periods or historical contexts.

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AP

®

World History: Modern 2021 Scoring Commentary

Question 4 — Long Essay Question (continued)

Sample: 4C

Thesis: 0

Contextualization: 1

Evidence: 0

Analysis and Reasoning: 0

Total Score: 1

A. Thesis/Claim (0−1 points): 0

The response did not earn the point as it does not address an economic policy.

B

. Contextualization (0−1 points): 1

Th

e response earned the point for its discussion of the Roaring Twenties in the first three sentences.

C. Evide

nce (0−3 points): 0

The r

esponse did not earn the point for using evidence as it provides only one piece of evidence (regarding

Germa

n hyperinflation). No second piece of evidence is provided.

The response did not earn the second evidence point as only one piece of evidence is used in support of an

arg

ument.

D. Analysis and Re

asoning (0−2 points): 0

Th

e response did not earn the point for historical reasoning, as it only provides a description of the Great

Dep

ression in Germany and not an analysis of a German government response to the Great Depression.

The response did not earn the point for demonstrating complex understanding as it does not demonstrate a

comp

lex or nuanced understanding or provide insightful connections to other periods or historical contexts.

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