Question

what was the main purpose of this act?
in response to the economic trends triggered by the great depression and the hawley - smoot tariff act, president roosevelt signed the reciprocal trade agreements act.
options:
it increased tariffs to boost protectionism.
it allowed the us government to work with other countries to reduce tariffs.
it was designed to promote consumer spending through decreased taxes.
it banned tariffs within the united states for ten years.
(there are also some other texts about the great depression, hawley and reed smoot, and the stock market crash, but they are not the main part of this question.)

Explanation:

The Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act was signed by President Roosevelt in response to the Hawley - Smoot Tariff Act (which increased tariffs and led to protectionism). The purpose of the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act was to allow the US government to work with other countries to reduce tariffs, promoting international trade and countering the negative effects of high tariffs. The option "It increased tariffs to boost protectionism" is incorrect as that was the Hawley - Smoot Tariff Act. The option "It banned tariffs within the United States for ten years" is not accurate. The option "It was designed to promote consumer spending through decreased taxes" is also incorrect as the act was about trade tariffs, not domestic consumer taxes.

Answer:

It allowed the US government to work with other countries to reduce tariffs.