FDR's key acts, 1933-45

Question 1

In what year did FDR begin his New Deal programme

Answer 1

1932 when he was elected president

Question 2

When was the First New Deal

Answer 2

1933-35

Question 3

What was the Agricultural Adjustment Act, May 1933?

Answer 3

That the govt would subsidise farmers to reduce their acreage and production voluntarily. By producing less, the cost of food would increase and so would farmers incomes

Question 4

What does the AAA stand for and why was it set up

Answer 4

Agricultural Adjustment Administration. It was a new agency that would pay farmers to reduce their production of staple items, initially corn, cotton, milk, pork, rice, tobacco, and wheat. It was to be self financing through a tax placed on companies that processed food.

Question 5

When was the Tennessee Valley Authority set up and what was the reason

Answer 5

In May 1933.
To deal with the underdevelopment and poverty in the Tennessee Valley. It was created to harness the power of the River Tennessee, which ran through seven of the poorest states in the USA.

Question 6

What was the purpose of the Emergency Banking Relief Act, 6 March 1933

Answer 6

To restore confidence in the American banking system. It gave the treasury power to investigate all banks threatened with collapse

Question 7

What was authorised to buy banks stock to support them and to take on many of their debts, causing them to be the largest bank in the world

Answer 7

The Reconstruction Finance Corporation

Question 8

What was the purpose of the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act

Answer 8

It forced commercial banks to refrain from investment banking activities in order to protect depositors from potential losses caused by bank speculation in stocks. It was passed as an emergency measure to counter the failure of banks during the Great Depression. It prohibited commercial banks from participating in the investment banking business.

Question 9

What was the Truth-in-Securities Act of 1933

Answer 9

It was one of 2 acts to ensure the excesses of the 1920s which had caused the Wall St Crash were not repeated. An act which required brokers to offer clients realistic information about the securities they were selling.

Question 10

What was the Securities Act 1934

Answer 10

It was one of 2 acts to ensure the excesses of the 1920s which had caused the Wall St Crash were not repeated. It set up a new agency (The Securities Exchange Commission). Its task was to oversee stock market activities and prevent fraudulent activities such as insider dealing as in the bull pool

Question 11

Name the two parts of the National Industry Recovery Act, June 1933

Answer 11

1. National Recovery Administration (NRA)
2. Public Works Administration (PWA)

Question 12

What agency was created in November 1933 to create employment

Answer 12

The Civil Works Administration

Question 13

What was the purpose of the Federal Emergency Relief Act, May 1933

Answer 13

The act established the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. It was given $500 million to be divided equally among the states to help provide for the unemployed. Half the money was to be granted to states for outright relief. With the remainder, the Government would pay each state $1 dollar for every $3 dollar it spent on relief.

Question 14

What was the Civillian Conservation Corps, 1933

Answer 14

It gave countless young men, partivularly those from the cities, a new self respect and valuable experience of both comradeship and life in the great outdoors- to tackle unemployment amongst the youth

Question 15

When do historians believe the second new deal occurred

Answer 15

1935

Question 16

What was the Works Progress Administration

Answer 16

It recruited people for public works projects

Question 17

What was the Wagner-Connery National Labor Relations Act (the Wagner Act), July 1935

Answer 17

It guaranteed workers the rights to collective bargaining through unions of their own choice. They could choose their union through a secret ballot; and a new three-man National Labor Relations Board was set up to ensure fair play. Employers were forbidden to resort to unfair practicises, such as discrimination against unionists. It was the first act that effectively gave unions rights in law and in the long term committed federal government to an important labour relations role.

Question 18

What was the Social Security Act, August 1935

Answer 18

The first federal measure of direct help as a workers right and would be built upon in the future. It provided for old age pensions to be funded by employer ad employee contributions, and unemployment insurance to be paid for by payroll taxes levied on both employers and employees.

Question 19

What was the Banking Act, August 1935

Answer 19

Intended to give the fed govt control of banking in the USA.

Question 20

What was the Judiciary Reform Bill of Feb 1936

Answer 20

Roosevelt presented it to Congress to propose that the president could appoint a new justice whenever an existing judge reaching the age of 70 failed to retire within six months. He could also appoint up to 6 new justices, increasing the possible total to fifteen

Question 21

When was the Judiciary Reform Bill rejected by the senate by 70 votes to 20 and why

Answer 21

In July 1936- Roosevelt was seen as a dictator- many congressmen feared he might start to retire them at 70 next and that he had greatly underestimated popular vote and support for the court

Question 22

What did the Economy Act in 1933 do

Answer 22

Forbade members of the same family from working for federal government. A total of 75 per cent of those who lost their jobs through this measure were married women

Question 23

What did the Indian Reorganisation Act of 1934 do

Answer 23

Recognised and encouraged Native American culture in a shift from the former policy of assimilation.

Question 24

What was the name of FDR foreign policy to mend and improve relations with Latin American

Answer 24

The ‘Good Neighbor’ policy

Question 25

Why did Roosevelt pass the Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act in 1934 and what did it do

Answer 25

To show continued goodwill to his neighbours
It repealed several of the 1920s isolationist trade policies so the USA could compete better in foreign trade. It began the historic move towards lower trade barriers and greater global engagement

Question 26

What did the first Neutrality Act of 1935 do

Answer 26

Gave the president the power to prohibit US ships from carrying US made munitions to countries at war. It could also prevent US citizens from travelling on ships of those countries at war except at their own risk to avoid situations like the Lusitania incident in 1915

Question 27

What was the Second Neutrality Act in 1936

Answer 27

Banned loans or credits to countries at war. The Act set no limits on trade in materials useful for war and US companies such as Texaco, Standard Oil and Ford were thus able to sell such items on credit to General Franco in the Spanish Civil War

Question 28

What did the Third Neutrality Act in 1937 do

Answer 28

Forbade the export of munitions for use by either of the opposing forces in Spain. It did however permit nations involved in a war to buy goods other than munitions from the USA, provided they pay cash and used their own ships- ‘cash and carry’

Question 29

What did the Fourth Neutrality Act in 1937 do

Answer 29

Authorised the US president to determine what could and could not be brought other than munitons to be paid for on delivery and made travel o ships of countries at war unlawful

Question 30

What did the 1939 Fifth Neutrality Act do

Answer 30

Meant that the president could authorise the cash and carry export of arms and munitons to countries at war but they had to be transported in the countries own ships. The president could specify which areas were theatres of war in time of war through which US citizens and ships were forbidden to travel and proclaimed the North Atlantic a combat zone

Question 31

When was Land Lease introduced with congrssional approval

Answer 31

May 1941

Question 32

What act was passed in 1940 to make it illegal to threaten to overthrow the govt of the USA

Answer 32

The Smith Act, 1940

Question 33

What act introduced conscription in 1940

Answer 33

The Selective Service Act, 1940

Question 34

Why was the Office of War Mobilization created as the war developed

Answer 34

To control the supply of goods and prices

Question 35

When and why was the War Management Commission set up

Answer 35

In 1942 and to recruit workers where they were needed the most

Question 36

Why was the Office of Scientific Research and Development created

Answer 36

to mobilise thousands of scientists to develop new methods of death as well as new methods of saving the lives of those wounded in battle

Question 37

Why was the Office of Price Administration and Civilian Supply set up in August 1941

Answer 37

To control inflation.

Question 38

What did the Office of Price Administration and Civilian Supply issue in april 1942

Answer 38

A General Maximum Price regulation which froze prices at March 1942 levels to prevent inflation.

Question 39

Why was the Fair Employment Practices Commission set up in June 1941

Answer 39

As a result of Executive Order 8802 which permitted the FEPC to investigate complaints and take action against alleged employment discrimination.

Question 40

Why did FDR issue Executive Order 9346

Answer 40

The FEPC in 1943 had become aware of widespread discrimination within a number of companies. Him issusing it gave the Commission greater powers and increased its budget to nearly half a million dollars