Opposition to the New Deal Flashcards
Who opposed the New Deal?
- supreme court
- republicans
- businessmen
- radical politicians
How did the Supreme Court oppose the New Deal?
From 1933 the Supreme Court upheld appeals against some alphabet agencies and declared them unconstitutional.
❖The Supreme Court was made up of judges chosen by the Republican presidents in the 1920s and they were more likely to disagree with Roosevelt’s ideas.
❖It upheld a complaint by the Schechter Brothers in the ‘Sick Chicken Case’ against the NRA, declaring the NRA unconstitutional and effectively closing it down.
❖It upheld a complaint in 1936 by a cotton processor against the AAA, saying the federal government was doing the work of the state government.
How did FDR challenge opposition from the Supreme Court on the New Deal?
Roosevelt was angry about the Supreme Court’s judgements against his alphabet agencies. He tried to find ways to counteract the court’s hostility.
❖In 1937, he asked Congress to allow him to add a new judge to the Supreme Court for every existing judge aged over 70.
❖This would mean adding six of his own judges and was called court-packing.
❖Congress didn’t agree to FDR’s plan, but afterwards the Supreme Court stopped challenging the New Deal. Gradually the old Republican judges retired or died and Roosevelt could replace them.
❖Roosevelt received a lot of criticism for his threat - some people felt it was disrespectful to the American system of government and that he was acting like a dictator.
Why did Republicans oppose the New Deal?
Republicans disagreed with the New Deal for three main reasons.
❖They were natural opponents of Roosevelt’s Democrat policies.
❖They believed government should be laissez-faire and avoid interfering too much in the lives of citizens. The New Deal made the federal government very powerful.
❖They believed in reducing spending to avoid high taxes and loans. The New Deal involved spending vast amounts of money.
What did Republicans do to oppose the New Deal?
After 1938 there were more Republicans in Congress, which gave them the power to try and stop the New Deal.
❖They cut spending on relief programmes.
❖They investigated the alphabet agencies and levelled accusations against some of them.
❖Blocked proposed new measures, such as proposals for more public works schemes in 1939.
Why did businessmen oppose the New Deal?
Although businesses had benefitted from the New Deal because it gave people money to buy their goods, many businessmen turned against it.
❖Many businessmen and factory owners resented being told how to run their businesses by agencies such as the NRA. They preferred a laissez-faire style of government.
❖They didn’t like the support that was given to trade unions by the NRA and the Wagner Act, because unions could challenge their businesses.
❖They disliked paying increased taxes to fund government spending.
Which individuals opposed the New Deal?
Radical opponents of the New Deal criticised it because they didn’t think it did enough for poor people or to make American society more equal. Four influential critics were:
❖Huey Long, the governor of Louisiana.
❖Father Charles Coughlin, a Roman Catholic priest and radio preacher.
❖Dr Francis Townsend, a retired public health official.
❖Upton Sinclair, the novelist.
