FDR-Opposition

Question 1

Supreme Court
Did they have an Impact?
NO

Answer 1

AAA reinstated in 1938
Wagner Act introduced in 1935 which was harsher than NRA.
Van Devanter retired and so balance was changed (3 musketeers were now equal)
Remained quiet after FDR’s re-election in 1936

Question 2

Court packing

Answer 2

Judicial Procedures Reform Bill 1937
Granted Pres. The power to appoint an additional judge for every judge over the age of 70.
Justification was the need to rejuvenate the court
Made FDR seem prejudiced against the aged (contradicted with Brandeis being oldest and most new deal)

Question 3

Big Business
Did they have an Impact?
YES

Answer 3

Influenced for Public Utility Holding Act to be watered down
US Steel successfully lobbied congress to water down the Wealth Tax

Question 4

Big Business
Did they have an Impact?
NO

Answer 4

FDR abandoned right vote after they turned against him

And Jack Warner supported FDR as did Walter Teagle

Question 5

Huey Long
Did they have an Impact?
YES

Answer 5

Govenor of Louisiana (poorest state)
Created Share Our Wealth Society with aims of: limiting personal fortune, storin agricultural surplus and taxes on highest earners to pay for reforms
By 1935 there were 7.5m members of the Society
FDR wanted to Steal the thunder from the left

Question 6

Huey Long
Did they have an Impact?
NO

Answer 6

FDR may have been planning this anyway as he had no money from “priming the pump”
Maybe pressured him to do it earlier?

Question 7

Townsend
Did they have an Impact?
YES

Answer 7

Proposed Old Age Revolution Plan whereby government would pay monthly pensions of $200 to citizens over 60 provided they spent it in a month.
Drew attention to a group ignored by New Deal thus far. In 1934 it became a primary issue in some races

Question 8

Townsend
Did this have an Impact?
NO

Answer 8

FDR could have been planning to introduce this anyway

Maybe sped him up?

Question 9

Coughlin
Did this have an Impact?
YES

Answer 9

Critic of AAA and had a weekly audience of 40 m radio listeners

Question 10

Coughlin
Did they have an Impact?
NO

Answer 10

Turned openly anti-Semitic so was hard to take seriously

Question 11

Communist party
Did they have an Impact?
NO

Answer 11

Had grass roots appeal but lack political impact
Browder only got 79,000 votes (could be low because AA)
Browder was possibly corrupt-involved with soviet Russia and a conscientious objector

Question 12

NAACP
Did this have an Impact?
NO

Answer 12

Still segregation in CCC+PWA so clearly little impact
FDR did not pass anti-lynching laws
NAACP lost support as Communists took over cases they refused e.g. Scottsborough boys accused of rape

Question 13

Supreme Court
Did they have an Impact?
Yes

Answer 13

Four horsemen-Van Devanter, Butler, Clark McReynolds and Surtherland
Struck down seven out of nine new deal legislation including AAA+NRA which were his benchmark policies
Court packing tarnished FDR’s reputation