Threats to the New Deal Flashcards
1
Q
X5 groups on the left
A
EPIC Share Our Wealth Old Age Revolving Pensions Inc National Union of Social Justice Thunder on the Left
2
Q
Main group of the right
A
Liberty Leaguers
3
Q
What was a major difference in the voices of the left and right wing groups against the New Deal?
A
politically speaking, one voice on the right w/ one precise message
on the left, several incoherent groups w/ no universal demands
4
Q
X3 key figures within the Liberty Leaguers
A
Alfred Sloane
Dupont
Al Smith
5
Q
Who was Alfred Sloane?
A
Chief of GM
Key Liberty Leaguer
6
Q
When was the Liberty Leaguers group organised from?
A
April 1934
7
Q
X4 key reasons for liberty leaguers opposing the New Deal
A
- too much government intervention
- detested tax increases on wealthy
- saw New Deal as socialist experiment (likened to USSR Communism)
- New Deal clamping down on free market
8
Q
What did Liberty Leaguers see FDR as a traitor of?
A
His class
9
Q
Not all industrialists agreed with the Liberty Leaguers. Give an example
A
Teagle of Standard Oil
10
Q
What point mutes the significance of the Liberty Leaguers in terms of being a threat to the N.D
A
They simply represented interests which were already there (big business) rather than being a new up and coming threat
11
Q
What was suggested that the far right had planned for 1934? Who apparently happened to this plan?
A
a coup d’état supposedly planned for 1934
foiled by the general that was going to lead it
12
Q
What key fiscal policy demonstrates the Liberty Leaguers ability to manipulate the New Deal to suit their interests?
A
FDR abandoned inheritance tax after they applied pressure
13
Q
Who was the Presidential candidate for the Republicans and far right in 1936
A
Alfred Landon
14
Q
How many votes did Landon receive in 1936
A
16,680,000
15
Q
How many votes did FDR receive in 1936
A
27,751,000
16
Q
How many more votes did FDR receive in 1936 than Landon
A
over 11million more
17
Q
What was the right able to do to the extreme left wing, particularly the EPIC campaign?
A
provided mass funding to take down the influence of the left
e.g Hollywood’s movie industry funded Landon and used propaganda to target Upton Sinclair
18
Q
What did businesses challenge in an attempt to weaken labour influence?
A
the National Labor Relations Board
19
Q
which corporation in particular challenged the National Labor Relations Board? What was the result?
A
US Steel corporation
lost their legal challenge against the NRA
20
Q
What did big business do to the ‘wealth tax bill’ in 1935? What was the result?
A
Lobbied the bill until it became a toothless measure w/ almost meaningless significance
21
Q
What did big business persuade congress to pass an extremely watered down version of in 1935?
A
the Public Utility Holding Company Act
22
Q
When was the Public Utility Holding Company Act passed by Congress after pressure from big business?
A
1935
23
Q
Who led the EPIC campaign?
A
Upton Sinclair
24
Q
What did EPIC stand for?
A
End Poverty in California
25
What did the EPIC campaign propose (x2)
- unemployed to temporarily be employed in state-run cooperatives
- paid a currency only spendable in other cooperatives (almost a barter programme)
26
What did the EPIC campaign suggest about the USA being wasteful?
- thought limiting production + destroying resources was economic insanity
- saw idle factories as wasteful
27
What was Sinclair's position in 1934
won democratic nomination for Governor of California
28
Major reason for Sinclair's defeat in the election for Governor of California
Hollywood funded republican candidate + ensured left was defeated
29
How many supporters aprox. did EPIC campaign have?
50,000
30
What was Sinclair major role in terms of the threat posed to the New Deal from the left?
even after defeat, Sinclair had attracted many supporters who were now introduced to socialism
these supporters remained loyal to other serious socialist alternatives
31
What did Communist groups do in terms of evictions?
would organise spontaneous groups to stop them
32
What was a major goal of the communists in terms of race?
use publicity and pressure to end discrimination between black and white
33
What did the communists provide for arrested unemployed?
legal defence
34
What X2 points did communists publicly object to about the New Deal?
blacks being left behind
prioritisation of helping big businesses
35
Who was the Presidential candidate for the communists in 1936?
Earl Browder
36
How many votes did Browder (communist candidate) receive in 1936?
79,000
37
What did communists set up in cities?
'unemployed councils'
38
How many communist 'unemployed council' members were there in Chicago?
22,000
39
Who was Huey Long?
Louisiana Senator
| Share our Wealth leader
40
What had Huey Long done in Louisiana?
as governor had ordered massive public works programmes
41
How did Long rule?
as dictator
42
What did Long and 'Share our wealth' propose about private fortunes?
those over $3million should be confiscated
43
What did Share our Wealth propose in terms of distributing money?
every family should be given enough to buy a house / car / radio
44
What X3 key things did Share our Wealth advocate in terms of services?
- free education
- few healthcare
- pensions
45
What was Long's opinion of FDR?
originally a supporter
began to oppose him due to failure to redistribute wealth and N.D prioritising big business
46
What did Long suggest the N.D was?
too slow and too methodical
47
How many Share our Wealth groups were there at peak?
27,430
48
How many members did Share our Wealth have at peak?
4.6million members
49
Why was Share our Wealth potentially a threat to political leadership?
talk of joining forces to form a 3rd party in presidential elections
50
When was Long assassinated?
September 1935
51
How did Long rank in favourability?
at some points suggested to have overtaken FDR in favourability
52
Who led the Old Age Revolving Pensions Inc?
Townsend
53
What did the OARPI advocate?
- everyone over 60 not in employed to receive $200 monthly
| - all pension must be spent, not saved
54
How did the OARPI suggest paying for pensions?
increase sales tax by 10%
55
What did Lechtenburg suggest about the OARPI's proposal?
argued it was valid as it would encourage retirement at 60, so would provide employment for young
56
What did the OARPI claim about he N.D?
- security legislation inadequate
| - saw their plan as providing permanent jobs, but the WPAs were only temporary
57
What would payments to recipients of pensions total in terms of national income under the OARPI's plans?
50% of N.I
58
Evidence for the OARPI being seriously considered
level of support - 2.2million followers
59
Who led the National Union of Social Justice
Father Charles Coughlin
60
What did the NUoSJ propose about banks?
their nationalisation
61
What X2 monetary reforms was the NUoSJ concerned with?
- bank nationalisation
| - redistribution of wealth via taxes
62
What was Father Charles original belief in the N.D?
"The New Deal is Christ's New Deal"
63
What was Father Charles main criticism of the N.D
felt it had not done enough to change the banking system
64
What did the NUoSJ see the New Deal as?
a communist conspiracy and a means for wall street financiers
(although this was contradictory)
65
What type of stance did Farther Charles later adopt which hurt his popularity?
blamed Jews for the New Deal and Wall Street control
began to admire fascist dictators of Europe
66
What was Father Charle's Radio show called?
The Golden Hour of the Little Flower
67
Evidence of Father Charles' decline in popularity?
radio show sponsorship cancelled since he was deemed too radical
68
Where was Father Charles especially influential?
in the 'bible belt' states
69
How large was Farther Charles' influence?
30-40million
70
Radical action of the National Union of Social Justice
government inspired attacks
71
Who was the NUoSJ's Presidential candidate in 1936?
Lepke
72
How many votes did Lepke gain in 1936? Was this greater than the Communists?
882,500
Yes over X10 greater than the communists
73
X2 influential figures within Thunder on the Left
Olsen
Lafollette
74
Who was Olson?
Leader of the Farmer-Labor Party (part of Thunder on the Left)
became Governor of Minnesota
75
What did the Farmer Labor Party advocate (X3)?
- state control of factories
- nationalism of public utilities
- postponement of farm mortgage foreclosures
76
Who were the Lafollette brothers?
founders of the Progressive Party
77
What did the Progressive Party advocate (X3)?
- collective bargaining
- unemployment insurance
- old-age pensions
78
What did the Lafollette brothers strongly protest about?
the death of the CWA agency
79
What did Thunder on the Left regard FDR as?
an "unsure person"
| believed he did not do enough to help everyday Americans through the new deal
80
How did the Thunder on the Left movement die out?
largely with one of its leaders, Olson
81
Who did the Progressive Party have the support of?
Eastern Intellectuals
82
Who did Eastern Intellectuals mainly support?
the left's Progressive Party
83
What major factor meant that Thunder on the Left was not a significant threat?
wasn't a universal opinion / cohesive unit
84
What was absent during the 1930s in regards to political movements?
no great feminist movement
85
What did the popularity of alternatives suggest to Roosevelt about the New Deal?
there was room for the possibility of more radical presidential measures to combat depression
86
What occurred in the 1934 mid-term congressional elections?
Democrats made gains in both houses
87
What did the number of democrats in the Senate rise to following the 1934 mid-term congressional elections? What was notable about this?
69 / 96 seats
| largest democratic majority to date
88
What was notable about the USA and the threat from the left?
USA had never been a left-wing biased nation & historically had always clamped down on socialism
89
Why did the left superficially appear a greater threat to the New Deal as opposed to the right?
- mass influence on the public
| - some see Long as potential Presidential candidate in 1936 election
90
Roosevelt recognised the political benefits to be gained by stealing the 'thunder of the left'. This is shown in the 2nd new deal policies, including;
- rural electrification
- social security act of 1935
- wealth tax act 1935
- federal farm bankruptcy act
91
how many workers went on strike in 1934?
1.5milion workers
92
The largest strike in the US's history up until then was in 1934. What industry and how many did this involve>
421,000 workers
| textile workers
93
How many sit down strikes in 1936
48
94
How many sit down strikes in 1937
477
95
How many more sit down strikes in 1937 than 1936
just under 430
96
What did FDR regard the Supreme Court as?
increasingly conservative and out of touch
97
What did FDR regard big business as?
the lynchpin of recovery
98
What was a laissez faire quote that the New Dealers attempted to counter?
"the problems of the workers can only be solved by themselves"
99
When was the peak of Townsend's popularity?
Following the SSA of 1935
100
Townsend can be seen as a threat in part. What evidence is there of this?
claimed control of X2 governors
101
On what point did the NAACP protest on education?
unequal treatment of black Americans under New Deal in university entry
102
Evidence of the New Deal remaining discriminatory
CCC employed only whites
No anti-lynching legislation
No civil rights legislation
No protection from discriminatory employers / dismissal
103
Who was secretary of labour during ND?
Who was the first ambassador?
Sec of Labour = Francis Perkins
Ambassador = Ruth Owen
both women
104
Who was the President's Race Relations Advisor?
What was notable about him?
HASTIE = race relations advisor
1st African American judge
105
What did Collier do within the Bureau of Indian Affairs?
employed Native Americans
106
Who had a filibuster against the Glass-Steagall Act?
Why was this
Huey Long
wouldn't support it until it included STATE and national banks
107
What X2 acts did Huey Long strongly object to?
Glass-Stegall Act
NRA
108
Why did Huey Long object to the NRA?
predicted accurately that it would suit big business - since its codes would be written by them
109
What did FDR do which showed that he recognised the threat Huey Long posed
- investigated Long's finances
- investigated Long's election as Senator of Louisiana
- block Long from Louisiana finances
110
How much did the Liberty Leaguers Raise in 1934?
What did they do with this money?
$500,000 in 1934 alone
Used it to finance against the New Deal and the left
e.g against Upton Sinclair
111
What was the right's opposition to the New Deal and its effectiveness made more impressive by?
What shows that the right constituted some sort of threat?
The rights opposition was made more impressive by its limited public support base
The fact that some appeasements were made towards the right shows that Roosevelt was concerned in part or that the legislation would not have worked without their cooperation
112
Point on the left, legislation and ideologies;
certain individual policies appeared REACTIONARY to the threat from the left -
However, the ideologies behind them (unequal distribution / equality of opportunity) were never adopted
113
Point on the limitation of the left's influence
FDR clearly perceived a threat from the left -
However not to the extent that he was willing to abandon fiscal conservatism in order to meet their demands
114
What did Al Smith see FDR as moving increasingly in?
" a socialist direction"
115
What book did Long write which showed his potential to challenge FDR for President?
My first days in the white house
116
Who became Chair of the National Share our Wealth Committee
Why?
Rockefeller
Rockefeller was a progressive
117
What did Share Our Wealth demand in terms of veterans?
immediate payment of bonuses
118
What did the candidate of the National Union of Social Justice co-author;
Lemke co-authored the Franzier-Lemke Federal Farm Bankruptcy act
119
How many votes had the Progressive Party secured in 1924?
What % was this?
What was this compared to the vote of 1936
4. 8million
16. 6% of the vote
No other party on the left got anywhere near as many votes
