(2d) Roosevelt and the First New Deal, 1933-35 Flashcards
When was Franklin Delano Roosevelt elected?
1932
What did Roosevelt promise to do when he was elected?
promised a New Deal to restore faith in the economy through the goals of Relief, Recovery and Reform. No specific blueprint about how this would be achieved. Committed to a balanced budget. Charismatic, appealed to population through ‘fireside chats’.
What did the 1st 100 days see?
The first 100 days saw more legislation passed than any previous time in history. Transformed role of Federal Government and the expectations placed upon it by the people.
What did the emergency legislation set up?
The emergency legislation was passed and set up ‘alphabet agencies’ to deal with the problems of the Depression.
When was the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)?
May 1933
What did Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) include?
Given $500 million to divide equally among states to provide unemployment relief
Half given by FERA to the states
Other half kept back, to give states $1 for every $3 of their own funds they spent on relief
How many alphabet alphabet angles were there?
16
When was the Agricultural Adjustment Agency?
1933
What were the negatives to FERA?
Some states refused to comply
Insufficient for scale of problem but set precedent for direct government relief
What did the AAA do?
Paid farmers to produce less to tackle problem of overproduction
What were the impacts of the AAA?
Prices did increase: Cotton rose from 6.5 to 10 cents per pound
Contentious issues such as the slaughter of 6 million pigs
Total farm income rose from $4.5 billion 1932 to $6.9 billion 1934
AAA did cause problems later on
What was the The National Industry Recovery Act (NIRA),?
set up the National Recovery Administration (NRA).
Firms that participated agreed to codes of practice such as good working conditions and product standards.
What was set up as part of the NRA?
Public Works Administration (PWA),
What did the PWA include?
funded with $3.3 billion with the aim of pump priming (pumping government money in to get things working again)
The hope was that spending on public works such as road building would stimulate the economy and create permanent jobs.
What was the downside to the PWA?
Many workers ended up unemployed again after contracts ended
Offered temporary relief but less successful in long term recovery