Office of Price Administration

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The Office of Price Administration was a U.S. World War II-era federal agency responsible for controlling prices and rents and preventing wartime inflation through measures such as price ceilings and rationing.

Aliases (2)
  • Administrator of the Office of Price Administration ×1
  • Office for Foreign Exchange and Price Control ×1

Statements (57)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal agency
wartime economic control agency
aimedTo ensure equitable distribution of scarce goods
prevent runaway inflation during wartime mobilization
support the war effort on the home front
appliesToJurisdiction United States
appliesToTimePeriod United States home front during World War II
World War II
country United States
dissolved 1947
foundedBy United States Congress
hasMainTask administer rationing programs
allocate scarce civilian goods
combat black market activities
control prices
control rents
enforce price regulations
enforce rent controls
issue ration coupons
prevent wartime inflation
protect consumers during wartime
regulate distribution of essential commodities
set price ceilings
stabilize cost of living
headquartersLocation Washington, D.C.
implemented rationing of coffee
rationing of fuel oil
rationing of gasoline
rationing of meat
rationing of processed foods
rationing of shoes
rationing of sugar
rationing of tires
inception 1941
jurisdiction United States federal government
legalBasis Emergency Price Control Act of 1942
locatedInTheAdministrativeTerritorialEntity District of Columbia
notableChairperson Chester Bowles
Leon Henderson
Prentiss M. Brown
operatedDuringPresidencyOf Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
parentOrganization United States Office for Emergency Management
partOf Executive branch of the United States government
regulated prices of automobiles
prices of clothing
prices of consumer goods
prices of food
prices of gasoline
prices of household appliances
prices of tires
rents for residential housing
replacedBy Office of Temporary Controls
various successor agencies in postwar period
significantEvent establishment of nationwide price ceilings during World War II
introduction of ration books for U.S. civilians
postwar political controversy over continuation of price controls


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