Chapter 24—The New Deal

BIG PICTURE QUESTIONS FOR SECTION I: What were some major features of the FDRs “New Deal”?

I.Launching the New Deal (pp. 684-690)

  1. Restoring Confidence
  2. Roosevelt’s Personality—What was FDR’s personality like? How did he use his personality? What personal challenges did he face?
  3. “Bank Holiday”—What proclamation did FDR make about banks? What was the bank holiday intended to do? What was the effect of the holiday?
  4. Prohibition Repealed—What immediate action did FDR take on Prohibition?
  5. Agricultural Adjustment
  6. AAA—How did the Agricultural Adjustment Act work? Who was favored under the AAA plan, and who suffered?
  7. “Rural Electrification”—What did the Rural Electrification Administration do?
  8. Industrial Recovery
  9. NRA—What was the National Recovery Administration, and what was its first action? What difficulties did the NRA face? How did the Supreme Court challenge the NRA?
  10. Regional Planning
  11. What was the Tennessee Valley Authority? What goals was the TVA to accomplish in the TennesseeValley? How did the TVA revitalize the region?
  12. Currency, Banks, and the Stock Market
  13. Glass-Steagall Act—What was accomplished under the Glass-Steagall Act?
  14. SEC—What was the SEC and what was its job?
  15. The Growth of Federal Relief—What did FDR have misgivings about?
  16. CWA—What did the Civil Works Administration do?
  17. CCC—What did the Civilian Conservation Corps do? Who worked for them? How were they housed?

BIG PICTURE QUESTIONS FOR SECTION II: What were some criticisms of the New Deal and how did FDR meet those criticisms?

II.The New Deal in Transition (pp. 690-697) —How successful had the New Deal been early on?

  1. Critics of the New Deal
  2. American Liberty League—Who made up the American Liberty League, and why didn’t they like the New Deal?
  3. Townshend Plan—What was Townshend’s plan? Who was Father Coughlin, and why was he popular?
  4. Huey Long—Who was Huey Long and why was he popular?
  5. Share the Wealth Society—What was the Share the Wealth Society? How did Long pose a threat to FDR’s reelection?
  6. The “Second New Deal”—How did FDR’s administration’s attitude change with the 2nd New Deal?
  7. National Labor Relations Board—What was the Wagner Act, and why was it important to labor unions?
  8. Labor Militancy
  9. Industrial Unionism—What was “industrial unionism” and how did it increase the influence of workers? Who was John L. Lewis and what was the CIO? Who was more likely to be a member of the CIO (compared to the AFL)?
  10. Organizing Battles
  11. Sit-Down Strike—What were sit-down strikes and why were they effective? What were some major victories for sit-down strikes? What was the “Memorial Day Massacre”?
  12. Organized Labor’s Rapid Growth—Because of the Wagner Act, what happened to organized labor?
  13. Social Security—What was Social Security and what benefits did it provide?
  14. Unemployment Insurance—How did the Social Security act help workers?
  15. New Directions in Relief
  16. WPA—What was the Works Progress Administration, and how did it differ from earlier relief efforts? What kind of jobs did the WPA accomplish? What special groups worked for the WPA?
  17. The 1936 “Referendum”
  18. Alf Landon—Who was Alf Landon? What happened to Huey Long? Who else ran for president in 1936? What was the result of the election?
  19. Electoral Realignment—How did the electorate realign in 1936 (what groups now voted for the Democratic Party)?

BIG PICTURE QUESTIONS FOR SECTION III: What problems did the New Deal and FDR face after 1936?

III.The New Deal in Disarray (pp. 697-700) —What led to problems with the New Deal?

  1. The Court Fight
  2. Court Packing—How did FDR try to change the Supreme Court, and why did he take that action? What was the reaction to FDR’s plan? Was FDR’s plan a victory or a loss for FDR (or both)?
  3. Retrenchment and Recession—What did FDR try to do to some New Deal programs in 1937 (and why)?
  4. Roosevelt Recession—What happened to the economy after FDR made his changes? What did FDR do in response? What did the Fair Labor Standards Act do?

BIG PICTURE QUESTIONS FOR SECTION IV: What were some of the long-term effects of the New Deal? What did the New Deal accomplish/fail to accomplish?

IV.Limits and Legacies of the New Deal (pp. 700-706)

  1. The Idea of the “BrokerState”
  2. Establishment of the “Broker State”
  3. African Americans and the New Deal—How did the Roosevelt administration support African American goals?
  4. “Black Cabinet”—What was the “Black Cabinet”? How did African Americans change their voting patterns?
  5. Existing Discrimination Reinforced—How did FDR (and the New Deal programs) NOT challenge discrimination in society?
  6. The New Deal and the “Indian Problem”
  7. John Collier—How did the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 reverse American policy towards Indians?
  8. Women and the New Deal
  9. Symbolic Gains for Women—Who was Frances Perkins, and why was she memorable? How was Eleanor Roosevelt an influential force?
  10. Prevailing Gender Norms Buttressed—What gender norms did the New Deal reinforce?
  11. The New Deal in the West and the South
  12. The New Deal and the National Economy
  13. Failure to Achieve Recovery—What finally ended the Great Depression? What groups were elevated by the New Deal?
  14. Federal Welfare State Established—What programs helped establish the federal welfare state?
  15. The New Deal and American Politics—How did FDR change the power of the federal government? How did FDR change the power of the presidency?
  16. New Expectations of Government—How was the power of the Democratic Party enhanced? What new expectations did people have of government after the New Deal?