Unit 6: Chapter 21 Flashcards
Who was blamed for the Great Depression?
President Herbert Hoover
Define the Term: Hoovervilles
Shantytowns made of makeshift houses that came from increased homelessness due to the depression
How high did unemployment get in the Great Depression
Nearly 25%
Define the Term: Public Works
Government financed construction of public facilities
What was Hoover’s overall response to the Great Depression
Reserved, he wanted to let the market solve the problem, not the government
Define the Term: Work Relief
Employment in a government job with the goal of decreasing unemployment
Define the Term: Deficit Spending
Spending more than you take in, in government this refers to more spending then government brings in through taxes
What policy led to a dramatic decrease in trade with Europe?
Smoot-Hawley Tariff
What political figure came up to challenge Hoover for the Presidency?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
What condition did FDR have that impacted his ability to walk?
Polio
What is the overarching term for FDR’s recovery plan?
The New Deal
Why did FDR reject Hoover’s request to approve of his plans post election but pre-inauguration
He didn’t want to get any of the blame should they fail
What were FDR’s first two actions upon taking office?
Called congress into session, and declaring the bank holiday
Define the Term: Bank Holiday
The governments suspension of all banking services, and allowing them to reopen only after government approval
What group did FDR assemble to assist in policy making/critique?
Brain Trust
How did FDR revolutionize the relationship between the President and the population?
By engaging in his Fireside Chats
Define the Term: Social Security Act
Established pensions for the elderly and unemployment insurance for workers. Relied on there being more workers than retirees
What socialist institution exists today as a result of the New Deal
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
What were the critiques Roosevelt fielded from the right?
Expense of the new deal
Federal involvement in American life
Supreme Court overruled portions of the New Deal as unconstitutional
What were the critiques Roosevelt fielded from the left?
Felt he didn’t go far enough
Wanted higher taxes on the wealthy
Called for more wealth distribution
Describe Roosevelts response to Supreme Court rulings
Wanted to increase the court by up to 6 justices for every justice over 70 who didn’t retire
What was the result of the election of 1936?
Roosevelt won all but 2 states
What was the common purpose of the agencies created under the New Deal?
To provide jobs for the nation’s unemployed
How did many families get food during the depression?
Bread lines provided through charity
What groups were hit heaviest during the Depression and why?
Minorities, because they had little representation within the government, and because of prejudice
What event caused a decrease in food supply
A drought leading to the Dust Bowl
What practice helped contribute to the Dust Bowl?
Overfarming/erosion
What federal agency was created in the 1930’s?
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Who was the first director of the FBI
J. Edgar Hoover
What voting pattern changed as a result of FDR support for poor/minority people?
African-Americans shifted from Republican favored to Democrat favored
