Political Developments: Some Successes and Failures of the New Deal Flashcards
This deck will be made up of cards that have already been made, but it is for a theoretical question plan - this is just an opportunity to group some points together
What alphabet agency was the TVA?
Tennessee Valley Authority
What year was the Tennessee Valley Authority set up?
1933
What was the broad aim of the Tennessee Valley Authority?
To provide electricity to farms in rural areas
How many dams did the TVA build?
20 dams
By what percentage did farmers’ incomes increase from 1929 to 1949 due to the TVA?
Increased by 200%
How many of the poorest states did the River Tennessee run through?
7 poorest states
What percentage of farms in the TVA dam area had electricity before?
2% of farms
What was the AAA alphabet agency?
Agricultural Adjustment Administration
What year was the Agricultural Adjustment Administration created?
1933
What did the AAA do?
Paid money to farmers to stop them farming their land
How many more acres of cotton-farming land were created at the start of 1933 compared to 1932?
500,000 more acres of cotton-farming land
How many acres of cotton farmland did the AAA destroy?
11 million acres
How many cents did the price of cotton per lb go up by from 1933 to 1934?
Went up by 4 cents per pound
How many piglets did the AAA kill?
6 million piglets
How many cows did the AAA kill in 1934?
8 million cows
By what percentage had cow breeding gone down by 1937?
Gone down by 20%
What was an issue for the public with millions of animals being disposed of after being killed?
They could have been used to feed people
How many people were homeless in 1933?
2 million people
What act created social security? What year was it passed?
Social Security Act, 1935
What was the benefit of social security in terms of government spending?
It was self-funding
How many weeks would people pay into their unemployment benefit for under social security?
16 weeks
How much money did people pay into their unemployment benefit a week?
$70 a week
How much lower was the balance of payments deficit for the government under FDR from Hoover’s time as President?
$2 billion lower
How much did elderly people pay a week for their pensions?
$80 a week
What was the PWA alphabet agency?
Public Works Administration
When was the Public Works Administration founded?
1933
How many miles of roads did the PWA make?
50,000 miles of roads
How much money was given to the PWA?
$3 billion
What did the PWA manage to make 10,000 of?
Made 10,000 schools
What year was the CWA made?
1933
What was the CWA alphabet agency?
Civil Works Administration
What was the focus of the CWA?
Get people into jobs
How many people were put into work due to the CWA?
4 million people
When did the harsh 1933 winter end? (To the month)
March 1934
What happened to the CWA after the harsh 1933 winter ended?
They closed down
What was the 1933 ERBA?
1933 Emergency Relief Banking Act
How long did it take Congress to debate the passing of the 1933 ERBA?
40 minutes
What did the 1934 Truth-in-Securities Act do?
Made it so that brokers would have to sell accurate financial securities to their customers
Up to how much money could people put in the bank that would be protected by the government?
$2000
What did the Wagner Act do?
It made it legal to join a trade union
When was the Wagner Act passed?
1935
By what percentage did Trade Union membership go up from 1935 to 1940?
Went up by 200%
What was the NRA?
National Recovery Administration
What year was the NRA created?
1933
What did one code of practice tell businesses to do to employees’ working hours?
Cut working hours by 10%
What diod one code of practice tell businesses to do to employees’ wages?
Increase them by 10%
What did the NRA do to antitrust laws?
It abolished them for 2 years
What would businesses have to follow under the NRA rather than antitrust laws?
Codes of practice
How did businesses respond to the codes of practice?
They did not follow them
What was the consumer situation by late 1934?
A “Buy Now” campaign had to be made to get consumers to spend
What percentage of the workforce were unemployed by 1939?
17%
What event truly helped to bring an end to the high unemployment during the Depression?
WWII
What percentage of people were unemployed in 1943?
2%
How many federal laws were ruled unconstitutional from 1794 to 1934?
60 federal laws
How many federal laws were ruled unconstitutional from 1935 to 1935?
10 federal laws
Which bill did FDR try to pass when the Supreme Court started to oppose his New Deal policies?
Judiciary Reform Bill
What did the Judiciary Reform Bill suggest?
For every judge over 70 years old, an additional judge would be appointed
How many Senators voted in favour of the Judiciary Reform Bill?
20 Senators
How many Senators voted out of favour of the Judiciary Reform Bill?
70 Senators
What was FDR attempting with his Judiciary Reform Bill?
Court Packing
Why did FDR want to do court packing with the Supreme Court?
So that there would be judges appointed more in favour of his policies
What case did the Supreme Court make against the NRA in 1935?
Sick chicken case
What did a butcher firm try to sell to people?
Chickens that were unfit for human consumption
How did the National Recovery Administration respond to the butcher firms actions?
They sanctioned them
How did the Supreme Court respond to the NRA’s actions?
Said they were unconstitutional
What year was the NRA ruled unconstitutional?
1935
What was the total income of all Americans in 1929 and in 1939?
1929 - $86 billion. 1939 - $73 billion
