Inquizitive Chapter 21: The New Deal, 1932-1940

In theater, film, and dance, the Popular Front vision of American society sank deep roots and survived much longer than the political moment from which it sprang. Identify the important cultural contributions to the Popular Front.

- American Document (1938) - Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

In many instances the New Deal reinforced segregation and disappointed blacks who had voted for broad changes to the nation's race system. Identify the ways in which the New Deal failed African-Americans.

- FDR did not succeed in passing anti-lynching legislation in Congress. - In the South, New Deal construction projects refused to hire black workers. - Federal housing policy reinforced existing segregation in municipalities in both the North and South. - The Civilian Conservation Corps maintained segregation by creating separate camps for blacks and whites.

Which of the following acts were designed by the Roosevelt administration to shore up the American finance system beyond the initial Emergency Banking Act?

- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) - Glass-Steagall Act

Analyze the map below. (Insert map) .What does it reveal about the Dust Bowl from 1935 to 1940?

- In 1938, almost half of the state of Kansas was impacted by severe wind erosion. - Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma were all impacted by the most severe wind erosion during the Dust Bowl.

Under the leadership of Commissioner of Indian Affairs John Collier, the administration launched the Indian New Deal. Identify the statements that describe the Indian New Deal.

- It ended the policy of forced assimilation and allowed Indians unprecedented cultural autonomy. - It ended the policy of dividing Indian lands into small plots for individual families and selling the rest.

Huey Long was one of the more colorful political figures of the 1930s. Identify the statements that describe Long and his Share the Wealth movement.

- Long wanted to confiscate most of the wealth of the richest Americans. - Long dominated Louisiana state politics even from Washington, D.C., after his election to the senate. - Long used his power to build roads, schools, and hospitals.

The New Deal had many opponents. Identify the statements that describe New Deal opposition.

- Many argued that the New Deal would undermine fiscal responsibility and that its government regulations restricted American freedom. - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce accused FDR and the government of trying to "Sovietize" America.

The Emergency Banking Act was the first in an unprecedented flurry of legislation passed in the first three months of Roosevelt's administration, a period known as the Hundred Days. Identify the goals of the following legislation passed during the Hundred Days.

- Public Works Administration: This had a $3.3 billion budget and contracted with private construction companies to build roads, schools, hospitals, and other public facilities. - Glass-Steagall Act: This barred commercial banks from becoming involved in the buying and selling of stocks. The law prevented many of the irresponsible practices that had contributed to the stock market crash. - National Recovery Administration: The government would work with business leaders to establish codes that set standards for output, prices, and working conditions. This would eliminate cutthroat competition and industry arrangements would be exempt from antitrust laws. - Civilian Conservation Corps: This provided unemployed men with jobs on projects like forest preservation, flood control, and the improvement of national parks and wildlife preserves.

Read the passage below from Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Fireside Chat" (1934). (Insert Passage). What does Roosevelt mean by the difference between the definition of liberty that has existed in the past and his own "broader definition of liberty"?

- Roosevelt felt that his New Deal walked a fine line between too much government and too little. - Roosevelt equated freedom with economic security and independence, and rejected the liberty of contract, which served the interests of "the privileged few."

Southern Democrats held very powerful positions in Congress, and Roosevelt felt it was necessary to placate them to ensure the passage of his New Deal legislation. Identify the statements that describe the political monopoly in the South.

- Social Security law excluded agricultural and domestic workers because these were the largest categories of black employment, and southerners wanted to exclude them from the benefits. - Democratic incumbents were elected election after election, so as a result very few eligible voters bothered to cast ballots in the region. - After blacks lost the right to vote, Republicans had no chance in the South, and as a result Democrats held a political monopoly in the region.

The public assistance programs established by Social Security, notably aid to dependent children and to the poor and elderly, were open to all Americans who could demonstrate need. Identify the ways in which blacks were prevented from benefiting from this limited assistance.

- States set benefit levels extremely low and set eligibility standards that discriminated against blacks. - States set "moral" standards of eligibility, as determined by local authorities, that discriminated against blacks. - Because many blacks worked in jobs where they did not pay Social Security taxes, most were eligible only for government handouts that came with a stigma.

The era of the New Deal as a far-reaching social reform was coming to an end by 1941. Why did southern Democrats turn on Roosevelt?

- The "Report on the Economic Conditions in the South" revealed that the South lagged behind the rest of the nation in industrialization, health, and education. - Roosevelt encouraged the election of more liberal politicians in the region in 1988.

In the mid-1930s, for the first time in American history, the left enjoyed a shaping influence on the nation's politics and culture. Identify the statements that describe the communist movement in America.

- The Communist Party attempted to form a Popular Front in an attempt to ally themselves with socialists and New Dealers in movements for social change. - The Popular Front and its focus on civil liberties brought the Communist Party respectability, helping to create a more pluralistic understanding of Americanism. - The Communists repudiated violence and urged reform of the capitalist system rather than revolution in the 1930s.

FDR made a serious political miscalculation regarding the Supreme Court. Identify the statements that describe the Court fight.

- The Court fight started because Roosevelt was worried that a court almost wholly appointed by Republicans would invalidate much of his New Deal. - The Court fight resulted in a fundamental shift in court behavior that tended to follow election returns. - FDR's attempt to pack the court—or add additional justices—raised cries that he was an aspiring dictator.

The centerpiece of the Second New Deal legislation was the Social Security Act of 1935. Identify the statements that describe the Social Security Act.

- The Social Security Act created a system of unemployment insurance, old age pensions, and aid to the disabled, the elderly poor, and families with dependent children - The ideas put into action in the Social Security Act had been promoted by Progressive reformers.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) came out of the Hundred Days. Identify the statements that describe the TVA and its mission.

- The TVA was a series of dams designed to control the flooding on the Tennessee River and its tributaries. - The TVA would provide cheap and easy access to electricity for homes and industry in seven southern states.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) was the first union to unionize an entire industry successfully. Identify the statements that describe the UAW.

- The UAW used sit-down strike tactics to force concessions from management. - The UAW'S membership swelled to 400,00 by 1937. - The Ford Motor Company was the final holdout against the UAW.

Identify the statements that describe the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

- The WPA hired artists and writers for projects including painting murals, writing guidebooks, and authoring histories of the United States. - The WPA constructed thousands of public buildings and bridges, more than 500,000 miles of roads, and 600 airports. - The WPA created the Federal Theater Project, which put on plays.

The Scottsboro case became an international cause célèbre and highlighted the racism prevalent in the American South. Identify the statements that describe the Scottsboro case.

- The case revolved around nine young black men arrested for the rape of two white women in Alabama in 1931. - As a result of the case, the Supreme Court greatly expanded the definition of civil liberties, ensuring that defendants have access to effective representation.

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) was a key piece of legislation of the Second New Deal. Identify the statements that describe the REA.

- The goal of the REA was to bring electricity to farms, thus creating a demand for household appliances that would benefit the whole economy. - In conjunction with the REA, other programs promoted farm prosperity through soil conservation and farm education. - The REA proved to be one of the most successful programs of the Second New Deal

During the Depression, there were widespread calls for women to remove themselves from the labor market to make room for unemployed men. Identify the statements that describe women during the Depression.

- The profile of women was raised during the era by Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who both advised the president. - Millions of women were excluded for Social Security, as it did not include domestic servants and women who did not work outside the home. - Many employers refused to hire women if their husbands already earned a "living wage."

Labor unions became more prominent in American life during the period of the New Deal. Identify the statements that describe labor unions during the New Deal and World War II.

- Unions had become so powerful that U.S. Steel negotiated with its 200,00 workers and the Steel Workers Organization Committee in order to avoid a strike. - Union membership doubled between 1930 and 1940.

Not all voices of protest came from the unions. Identify the political agendas of the following individuals.

- Upton Sinclair: He called for the state to utilize disused factories, farms, and homes to create cooperative ventures to provide jobs for the unemployed. -Huey Long: He called for a restructuring of the American economy in which wealth would be confiscated and redistributed to provide $5,000 grants and guaranteed jobs with annual salaries. - Dr. Francis Townsend: He won wide support for a plan that would issue $200 to older Americans with the requirement they immediately spend it to boost the economy.

Identify the missions of the following unions and organizations.

American Federation of Labor (AFL): This union was organized based on the craft of a worker, and not by the industry in which the worker worked. Congress of Industrial Workers (CIO): This organization wanted to secure "economic freedom and industrial democracy" for American workers. United Auto Workers (UAW): This organization used the sit-down strike as an effective tactic to halt production and force negotiations.

The one important area of the economy that Roosevelt's New Deal legislation failed to act on was the housing industry. Roosevelt firmly believed that families and private enterprise had dealt well with housing during the Great Depression, and he was afraid government action would actually cause problems where they did not exist.

False

Watch the author video featuring Eric Foner. (Insert Video) What was the overall significance of the New Deal and its legacy?

Not a significance of the New Deal: - It drastically decreased unemployment and ended the Depression prior to World War II. Significance of the New Deal: - It enhanced the power of the national government. - It made the Democratic Party the majority party in the country for the next thirty to forty years. - It was the first time that the government intervened to promote the right of labor, by recognizing workers' right to organize unions.

Celebrating the work and life of everyday people was a central focus of artists during the 1930s, as their contributions were seen as genuine expressions of Americanism.

True

FDR consistently linked freedom with economic security and identified entrenched economic inequality as its greatest enemy.

True

In 1938 Roosevelt put Keynesian economic theory to work by requesting billions of dollars for work relief and farm aid in an attempt to sustain the purchasing power of individual Americans and stimulate the economy.

True

Ironically, the anti-modernist fundamentalists seized the modern technology of the radio to spread their messages through radio shows or outright ownership of broadcast stations.

True

Roosevelt was spurred to initiate the Second New Deal in 1935 because the first had failed to pull the country out of the Depression. While the first New Deal had focused on economic recovery, the Second New Deal would focus on economic security.

True

The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was created in 1935 to organize workers by industry rather than by craft, which was the American Federation of Labor's (AFL) traditional policy.

True

The Wagner Act was based on the premise that unionization and higher wages would aid economic recovery by increasing the purchasing power of Americans.

True

Unlike the Public Works Administration, the Civil Works Administration directly hired construction workers for government-funded and sponsored projects.

True

While the American version of the welfare state created by the Social Security Act of 1935 was a radical departure from previous U.S. government policy, it was much more decentralized, covered fewer citizens, and was less well funded than that of its European counterparts.

True