MODULE 9: THE NEW DEAL Flashcards
Why did Franklin Roosevelt, as a presidential candidate in 1932, seem like he might provide relief from the Great Depression?
He attempted reform programs on a smaller scale as Governor of New York.
Soon after Franklin Roosevelt was elected to the presidency in 1932, a constitutional amendment was passed that shortened the time between a presidential election and the inauguration. Which of these best explains why this amendment was ratified?
Responses
The previous president was voted out, and lacked political power to address the Great Depression.
Which statement best explains why the public preferred Franklin Roosevelt over Herbert Hoover in the 1932 presidential election?
They believed that Roosevelt could bring change and that Hoover could not.
Hoover’s ideological commitment to free market ideas contributed to the sense that he was unwilling to make the changes necessary to stem the tide of the Great Depression.
What did Roosevelt do as governor which helped in his presidential campaign
Roosevelt signed into law a number of relief and reform programs that would go on to serve as models for the national scope of the New Deal. Roosevelt’s program of supplying public works jobs as governor of New York foreshadowed his approach to handling the Depression as president.
What best describes Franklin Roosevelt’s political background before he became president?
He was a depression-era Governor of New York.
If you were an individual who was unemployed during the Great Depression, which of the following New Deal programs or laws would be of the most immediate help in acquiring a job?
The Civil Works Administration
What did The Civil Works Administration do?
This program put millions of Americans to work repairing and improving the nation’s infrastructure.
What was one unintended consequence of New Deal programs in the South?
It contributed to the eviction of tenant farmers.
Many of the agricultural subsidies went to land owners, rather than the farmers who worked the land. With many farmers being paid to not produce crops, landless tenant farmers were often let go from their jobs.
The National Industrial Recovery Act is mostly remembered for improving workers’ rights and conditions on the job. But what was one benefit to business owners?
Businesses could establish codes otherwise outlawed by antitrust rules.
The NIRA was framed as a give-and-take between benefits to business owners and ordinary workers.
During the first 100 days of the New Deal, how did Franklin Roosevelt persuade the public to support his program?
He held a series of casual speeches over the radio.
History would remember these addresses as the “fireside chats,” where Roosevelt adopted a more personal style that resonated with members of the public who were frightened by the Great Depression, but unsure of the proposals for recovery.
What was one common critique of the Agricultural Adjustment Act?
It required the destruction of livestock and crops at a time when many were starving.
In order to keep crop and livestock prices high, the problem of excess supply required a solution. Killing a portion of the livestock and destroying a portion of the crop yield was seen by New Deal administrators as the best solution.
During his first “fireside chats,” what did Franklin Roosevelt urge the American public to do?
Trust banks and put their savings in them.
Roosevelt used his first 100 days to audit the stability of many of the nation’s banks. Even after his “bank holiday,” Americans were still skittish about using banks, given the volatility of the Depression and the frequency of bank failures during its first four years.
What two goals were the most important legislative priorities for Franklin Roosevelt during the First New Deal?
Reform the banking system and put people to work. The First New Deal’s twin goals were to reform banking (and thus increase consumer confidence) while also working to help Americans find jobs. The unemployment rate was hovering around 25% at the time of Roosevelt’s inauguration.
Why did the New Deal’s Agricultural Adjustment Act pay farmers to not produce certain crops?
To raise crop prices by creating scarcity and demand. Farmers were in dire straits because of farm surpluses. Because the supply was so great and the demand remained fairly steady, prices plummeted, endangering the livelihood of many farmers. By limiting the supply, it was hoped that farm prices would rise to a sustainable level.
The Tennessee Valley Authority, created as part of the New Deal, is mostly remembered for establishing hydroelectric power throughout the upper South. What was another key component of this program?
educational programs that emphasized better farming techniques and job skills.
While the TVA provided irrigation and electricity, President Roosevelt also hoped to educate farmers on newer farming techniques that would make the land more productive and prevent the soil exhaustion caused by earlier generations of farming.
What was the topic that was discussed during most of Franklin Roosevelt’s “fireside chats” held by radio broadcast?
How his programs would combat the Great Depression.
