The Bank of North Dakota: The Bank Today
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
The frustration of farmers at the stranglehold Twin Cities and corporate business had on transportation, finance, and milling led to the rise of the Non-Partisan League. The NPL-controlled legislature passed several bills providing support to farmers, including creation of the only state-owned bank in the country.
Today, in 2005, the Bank of North Dakota is fulfilling the vision of the farmers who created it, serving as the development bank for the state. The bank makes loans to farmers, new businesses, and college students, while profits return to the state’s treasury.
Producer
Kim Stenehjem (Producer); Lee Westad (Editor); R. Cadwell, D. Geck, T. Jensen, L. Westad (Videographers); Bob Dambach (Executive Producer).
Source
The Bank of North Dakota [Documentary]. USA: Prairie Public Broadcasting (2005).
Grade Level
4 - 12
Subject Matter
Social Studies
Standards
Use chronological order and sequence to describe the cause-and-effect relationships of historical events and periods in North Dakota (e.g., how the railroads led to settlements in the state)
Explain how background and history influence people’s actions (e.g., farming methods, hunting methods, economic decisions)
Evaluate how economic opportunities (e.g., manufacturing, agricultural, business) impact North Dakota and other regions (e.g., Midwest, Northeast)
Describe factors (e.g., climate, population, tax laws, natural resources) governing economic decision making in North Dakota and other regions (e.g., Midwest, Southeast)
Explain the role of money and the role of financial institutions in a market economy (e.g., basic functions of money, composition of money supply, role of banks and other financial institutions, federal reserve, credit savings)
Analyze the role government plays in an economy (e.g., provision of public goods and services, taxes, protection of property rights, resolution of market failures)
