Editing North Dakota (section)

===20th century===
Unrest among wheat farmers, especially among Norwegian [[immigrants]], led to a populist political movement centered in the [[Non Partisan League]] ("NPL") around the time of [[World War I]]. The NPL ran candidates on the Republican ticket (but merged into the [[North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party|Democratic Party]] after [[World War II]]). It tried to insulate North Dakota from the power of out-of-state banks and corporations.

In addition to founding the state-owned [[Bank of North Dakota]] and [[North Dakota Mill and Elevator]] (both still in existence), the NPL established a state-owned railroad line (later sold to the [[Soo Line Railroad]]). Anti-corporate laws virtually prohibited a corporation or bank from owning title to land zoned as farmland. These laws, still in force today, after having been upheld by state and federal courts, make it almost impossible to foreclose on farmland, as even after foreclosure, the property title cannot be held by a bank or mortgage company.<ref name="state-law">{{cite web |url= http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t10c06-1.pdf |title= CHAPTER 10-06.1 Corporate or Limited Liability Company Farming |publisher= State of North Dakota |access-date= December 29, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161222063532/http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t10c06-1.pdf |archive-date= December 22, 2016 |url-status= live }}</ref> Furthermore, the Bank of North Dakota, having powers similar to a Federal Reserve branch bank, exercised its power to limit the issuance of subprime mortgages and their collateralization in the form of derivative instruments, and so prevented a collapse of housing prices within the state in the wake of 2008's financial crisis.<ref name="state bank">{{cite journal |url= https://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/03/how-nation%E2%80%99s-only-state-owned-bank-became-envy-wall-street |title= How the Nation's Only State-Owned Bank Became the Envy of Wall Street |journal= [[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]] |last= Harkinson |first= Josh |date= March 27, 2009 |access-date= December 29, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161230085936/http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/03/how-nation%E2%80%99s-only-state-owned-bank-became-envy-wall-street |archive-date= December 30, 2016 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}</ref>

[[File:2009-0521-ND-StateCapitol.jpg|thumb|left|[[North Dakota State Capitol]], featuring an Art Deco tower]]

The original [[North Dakota State Capitol]] in Bismarck burned to the ground on December 28, 1930. It was replaced by a [[limestone]]-faced [[art-deco]] skyscraper that still stands today.<ref name="capitol">{{cite web | title = North Dakota State Capitol Building & Grounds Virtual Tour Map | publisher = The Real North Dakota Project | url = http://www.realnd.com/capitolmap.htm | access-date = August 19, 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070925025915/http://www.realnd.com/capitolmap.htm | archive-date = September 25, 2007 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> A round of federal investment and construction projects began in the 1950s, including the [[Garrison Dam]] and the [[Minot Air Force Base|Minot]] and [[Grand Forks Air Force Base|Grand Forks]] [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] bases.<ref name="timeline">{{cite web | title = North Dakota Timeline | publisher = WorldAtlas.com | url = http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/ndtimeln.htm | access-date = August 19, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070715115553/http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/ndtimeln.htm | archive-date = July 15, 2007 | url-status = live }}</ref>

Western North Dakota saw a boom in [[oil exploration]] in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as rising petroleum prices made development profitable.<ref name="nd history summary">{{cite web | title = North Dakota History: Overview and Summary | publisher= State Historical Society of North Dakota | year = 1999 | url = http://www.nd.gov/hist/ndhist.htm | access-date = August 19, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070403060553/http://www.nd.gov/hist/ndhist.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = April 3, 2007}}</ref> This boom came to an end after petroleum prices declined.<ref name="nd history summary" />