THEME 2: c - the New Deal Flashcards
What were Roosevelt’s THREE aims?
Relief, Recovery, Reform
to restore faith in the US economy
What did Roosevelt begin doing after 8 days of his presidency?
Fireside chats
- he would explain his policies via RADIO
- aided by his charismatic personality
- his reassuring voice helped restore confidence & gave optimism
Was the New Deal planned or specified?
NO - there was no blueprint
What is meant by ‘The 100 Days’?
The first 100 days of Roosevelt’s presidency saw more legislation passed than any other previous time in history - most of the ND legislation
What emergency relief did Roosevelt establish?
1933: The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)
* $500 million to divide equally among states to provide unemployment relief
* Half $ given by FERA to the states
* Other half kept back (to give states $1 for every $3 of their own funds they spent on relief)
What were the issues with FERA?
- Some states refused to comply
* It was insufficient for the scale of the problem - but it did set the precedent for future direct relief
What does relief mean?
Financial/practical help given to those in special need or difficulty
What does recovery mean?
A return to a normal state of economic strength
What does reform mean?
Governmental and economic restructuring and change
How many alphabet agencies were there in total?
16
What alphabet agency helped farmers?
The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) 1933
- paid farmers to reduce their production of ‘staple’ items
- corn, cotton, milk etc
What were the issues with the AAA?
- Cotton prices still increased from 6.5c - 10c.
- fields of food destroyed when many were hungry
- contentious issues like the slaughter of 6 mil piglets
What were the aims of the TVA & how did they go about achieving them?
The Tennessee Valley Authority
* modernise the Tennessee Valley
* relief from poverty
HOW?
* harness the power of the river there (20 huge dams)
* develop welfare & educational programmes
* produce hydro-electric power
Which alphabets agency helped industry?
The National Industry Recover act (NIRA)
* set up: national recovery admin (NRA) & the public works admin (PWA) - later financed the Civil Works admin (CWA)
What did the NRA do?
(part of the NIRA)
- firms were encouraged to accept codes of practice
- codes regulated unfair competition (price cutting)
- codes = working conditions & min wage