(2e) Roosevelt and the Second New Deal 1935-1938 Flashcards

1
Q

Reasons for a more radical programme

A
  • Responding to the opposition.
  • Congress demanded more, and Roosevelt didn’t want them to set the agenda.
  • Increasingly frustrated by the wealthy classes and big business who opposed him; he wanted to appeal to the less advantaged ranks of society who he felt were often ignored.
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2
Q

Emergency Relief Appropriation Act 1935

A
  • Biggest appropriation of government relief ever
    • $45.5 billion for public works schemes.
  • Set up the Works Progress Administration which had employed 20% of workforce by 1940 on various schemes.
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3
Q

The Revenue Act 1935

A
  • The ‘Soak the rich’ act - it increased taxes.
  • Tax on incomes over $50,000 went up from 50% to 75%.
  • Ineffective - only 1% earned over $10,000.
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4
Q

Social Security Act 1935

A
  • First ever direct measure of govt welfare - major break from traditional role of federal govt.
  • Set up Old Age pension.
  • Unemployment benefit for up to 16 weeks.
  • Self financing - people paid into a pension scheme.
  • Domestic workers and agricultural workers were not included - affected women and black americans mainly.
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5
Q

Wagner Act (National Labour Relations Act) 1935

A
  • First time Labour Unions had been given legal rights.
  • Set up National Labour Relations Board - ensure fair play between employer and workforce in disputes.
  • Initiated in Congress - backed by Roosevelt.
  • Labour Unions had always been treated with hostility by employers - they intimidated workers not to join unions.
  • NRA banned this intimidation - Henry Ford still continued it however.
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6
Q

Opposition to the ______ New Deal was __________.

A

Opposition to the second New Deal was significant.

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7
Q

Opposition from the Supreme Court

A
  • Declared New Deal legislation unconstitutional.
  • ‘Black Monday’ 27th May 1935 - found several pieces of legislation unconstitutional (including NIRA and AAA).
  • Sick Chicken Case - NIRA prosecuted New York Butchers - Supreme Court declared these codes unconstitutional.
  • Judiciary Reform Bill: FDR wanted to raise judges from 9 to 15 and be allowed to appoint 6. Tried to force them at 70 but this piece of legislation didn’t go through and increased opposition.
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8
Q

Opposition of Wealthy Conservatives

A
  • Republicans and conservative Democrats thought FDR had too much power.
  • December 1937 Conservative Manifesto called for lower taxes.
  • 1938 Mid-term elections: FDR supported liberal rather than conservative Dems - achieved little.
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9
Q

Roosevelt Recession, 1937-1938

A
  • FDR cut govt spending to balance the budget.
  • The economy hadn’t recovered enough for this to happen and led to a recession.
  • Unemployment rose: 7 million to 10.39 million in 12 months.
  • National Income fell by 13%.
  • Social Security payments swallowed $2 billion of the nation’s wealth.
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10
Q

The ________ of the New Deal were negated by the impact of __________ and the ___ ____ economy as WW2 broke out in Europe

A

The failures of the New Deal were negated by the impact of rearmament and the war time economy as WW2 broke out in Europe

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11
Q

New ____ measures began to peter out as _______ affairs began to ________.

A

New Deal measures began to peter out as foreign affairs began to dominate.

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