Question

Difficulty: EasyAdvances in Technology and Exchange

The growth of the Internet in the late twentieth century enabled the rapid, low-cost transmission of information across the globe. By connecting computers worldwide, this new communication network allowed businesses to manage daily operations, track inventory, and communicate with partners in different countries in real time.

Based on the passage and your knowledge of world history, which of the following was a major economic consequence of the rapid spread of the communication technology described?

  1. A
    The complete homogenization of all regional cultures into a uniform global lifestyle.
  2. The development of highly integrated global supply chains.Answer
  3. C
    The adoption of mercantilist trade systems that restricted commerce to state-controlled monopolies.
  4. D
    The launch of the Green Revolution as a movement to promote eco-friendly, organic farming.

Answer

The development of highly integrated global supply chains.
The correct answer is the development of highly integrated global supply chains. The Internet allowed companies to transmit data instantly and cheaply, making it feasible to manage complex networks of production and distribution across different nations in real time.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to identify the key technology and its features.
The stimulus describes the Internet in the late twentieth century, highlighting how it allowed rapid, low-cost information sharing and real-time business coordination across borders.
Understanding the technology's capability is essential for determining its broader historical effects.
2
Connect the features of the Internet to global economic patterns of the late twentieth century.
The ability to coordinate operations globally in real time allowed companies to split production stages across different countries, leading to integrated global supply chains.
This links the technological advance directly to the globalization of trade and production.

Key Concept

The economic impact of late-twentieth-century advances in communication and information technology.
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