FDR's Policies (thanks ecolowdown)

The Public Works Administration (PWA)

[Combination] The Public Works Administration (PWA) of 1933 launched projects, such as the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River. It was intended both for industrial recovery and unemployment relief. Eventually more than $4 billion was spent on 34,000 construction projects. One of these projects was San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. The PWA provided relief, but some of the items that were built (bridges and dams) contributed to recovery.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

[Combination] The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was created in 1933 for the economic development of the Tennessee River watershed. Many jobs were created as a result of 20 dams built to control flooding, generate electricity and increase agricultural production. The TVA provided relief, but the 20 dams that were built also contributed to recovery.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA)

[Combination] The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a part of the second phase of the New Deal. From 1935 until 1943, this agency provided work for about 3 million workers at a time. By 1943, it had helped between 8 million and 9 million people. Under the WPA, buildings, roads, airports and schools were constructed. Actors, painters, musicians and writers were employed through the Federal Theatre Project, the Federal Art Project and the Federal Writers Project. The WPA provided relief, but some of the items that were built (buildings, roads, airports, and schools) contributed to the recovery.

The Agriculture Adjustment Administration (AAA)

[Recovery] The Agriculture Adjustment Administration (AAA) of 1933 raised farm prices through subsidies. It paid farmers not to raise certain crops and livestock, hoping that lower production would cause prices to rise. The Supreme Court struck down the tax that funded AAA subsidies to farmers.

The Rural Electrification Administration (REA)

[Recovery] The Rural Electrification Administration (REA) of 1935 offered loans to electric companies and farm cooperatives for building power plants and extending power lines.

Emergency Banking Act

[Reform] On March 6, 1933, FDR shut down all the banks in the nation and forced Congress to pass the Emergency Banking Act.

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938

[Reform] The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 banned child labor and set a minimum wage. It also established a normal work week of 40 hours.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

[Reform] The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was established by the Glass-Steagall Banking Act of 1933 to insure bank deposits of up to $5,000.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA)

[Reform] The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) of 1934 worked to improve housing standards and conditions and to insure mortgages.

The National Labor Relations Act

[Reform] The National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act) of 1935 legalized collective bargaining and closed shops (workplaces open only to union members). Although it was designed to bring industrial peace, it led to a wave of strikes, many of which were sit-down strikes. These tactics, although not always successful, proved quite powerful. In 1939, the Supreme Court outlawed the sit-down strike as being too potent a weapon and an obstacle to negotiation.

The National Recovery Act (NRA)

[Reform] The National Recovery Act (NRA) of 1933 was known as the "Blue Eagle" from its popular symbol. Accompanied by the slogan "We Do Our Part," the NRA established codes for fair business practices. These codes regulated wages, working conditions, production and prices and set a minimum wage. The Supreme Court invalidated the NRA in 1935. Some think it hampered recovery by allowing the formation of cartels, restricting competition and reducing employment

The Revenue Act of 1935

[Reform] The Revenue Act of 1935 (Wealth Tax Act) raised the tax rate on individual incomes that exceeded $50,000 and also increased rates on the income and profits of corporations.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

[Reform] The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of 1934 required full disclosure of information on stocks being sold. The SEC regulated the stock market. Congress also gave the Federal Reserve Board the power to regulate the purchase of stock on margin.

The Social Security Act of 1935

[Reform] The Social Security Act of 1935 established the administration of a national pension fund for the aged and unemployed, as well as public assistance for dependent mothers, children and disabled people. It was financed by a payroll tax based on employer and employee contribution.

National Youth Administration (NYA)

[Relief] National Youth Administration (NYA) created under the Emergency Relief Act of 1935, provided more than 4.5 million jobs for young people. It gave part-time employment to students, established training programs and provided aid to unemployed youth.

The Civil Works Administration (CWA)

[Relief] The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was a public program funding jobs ranging from ditch digging to highway repairs to teaching. Created in November 1933, it was criticized as "make work" and abandoned in the spring of 1934. It provided a psychological and physical boost to its 4 million workers.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

[Relief] The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) of 1933 put 2.5 million men to work in a variety of conservation projects: planting trees to combat soil erosion and maintain national forests; eliminating stream pollution; creating fish, game and bird sanctuaries; and conserving coal, petroleum, shale, gas, sodium and helium deposits. Workers earned only $1 a day but received free board and job training. From 1934 to 1937, this program funded similar programs for 8,500 women. It taught men and women of America how to live independently, thus increasing self-esteem.

The Farm Security Administration (FSA)

[Relief] The Farm Security Administration (FSA) was created in 1937 (formerly called the Resettlement Administration in 1935) to aid sharecroppers.

The Federal Art Project (FAP)

[Relief] The Federal Art Project (FAP) of 1935 was a part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This cultural program employed 5,300 artists at its height in 1936. Murals, paintings, sculptures and photography were all part of this program.

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)

[Relief] The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) of 1933 put money into public works programs, which were government-funded projects to build public facilities and create jobs.

The Federal Writers Project (FWP)

[Relief] The Federal Writers Project (FWP) of 1935 was a part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This cultural program employed about 6,686 writers at its peak in 1936. It produced 3.5 million copies of 800 titles by 1941.