new deal: criticism onward Flashcards
right wing conservative opposition
republican business leaders and wealthy people saw the new deal as interfering with businesses and core American value. viewed much of it as unconstitutional
FDR was accused of being a socialist or a communist and acting like a dictator
1934: liberty league was formed form business leaders who accused FDR of destroying free enterprise and creating unfair competition with agencies such as the TVA
richer Americans resented the inc in taxation to pay for new deal reforms - they believed that hight taxes discouraged people form working
radical critics believed the new deal did not go far enough.
Huey long taxed big corporations and business and spent money on building schools. he employed AA’s on the same terms as white people and he promised pensions for everyone he had 7.5m supporters and intended to run for president b4 he was assassinated in 1935
Townsend clubs- inc pension for over 60s. 7,000 across the country
father Coughlin had a radio that was listened to bey 40m ppl every Sunday. spoke of how new deal didn’t do enough to help the poorest Americans
US supreme court opposition
supreme court was dominated by old republicans who were opposed to new deal measures. in 1935 declared NRA unconstitutional and in 1936 did the same with AAA
FDR tried to pack the supreme court with 5 new democrats who would be more fair. congress refused but it did scare the court.
they stopped opposing him so much and some resigned. new judges were less hostile than the ones before hime and in 1937 the Wagner act was allowed
how limited was the new deal
it never nationalised industry or took complete control of the economy. it dealt with symptoms rather than the causes of the depression
when economy seemed to be recovering in 1937, Roosevelt cut gov spending which triggered a recession and unemployment to rise to 19%
some Americans lost confidence in FDR and republicans increased their vote in congress which made getting new deal measures across even harder
Unemployment never fell below 5 million
farming prices did rise considerably but sectors such as meat and cotton and wheat stayed below 1929 levels
Foreign markets were still weak so they could not export goods
only the second world war ended unemployment. dropped below 5 million for first time in 1942
no civil rights laws were passes by FDR for fear of angering southern democrats
