Glossary of alphabet agencies
1933 – Roosevelt, unlike Hoover, was prepared to provide huge amounts of government money for the
relief of the needy. During the “Hundred Days” set up the “Alphabet Agencies” to help and support the
American people
FCA - Farm Credit Administration
AAA – Agricultural Adjustment Agency
CCC - Civilian Conservation Corps
CWA – Civilian Works Administration
PWA – Public Works Administration
FERA – Federal Emergency Relief Administration
HOLC – Home Owners Loan Corporation
NRA – National Recovery Administration
TVA – Tennessee Valley Authority
1935 – second New Deal aimed at reforming aspects of American society and improving conditions for
ordinary people
WPA – Works Progress Administration
RA – Resettlement Administration
FSA – Farm Security Administration
Category
Employment
Agriculture
1st New Deal – 1933
CCC (to 1942) – unemployment 25%. Men 18 to
25 years. Planting trees, flood control work. 2
million men over nine years
CWA (temporary winter 1933 -1934). 4 million.
Unskilled work building roads, sweeping leaves,
actors gave free shows
PWA (1933 -1939). $7bn for skilled work
building bridges, sewage systems, schools,
hospital. HIGH LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT
INVOLVEMENT IN THE ECONOMY
2nd New Deal – 1935 to 1937
FCA – loans to farmers
RA- 500,000 families moved to
better land and new homes
FSA (1937- replaced the RA) – loans
to sharecroppers and tenant
farmers. Labour camps for migrant
workers
WPA – 2 million workers per year.
Roads, public buildings, schools,
bridges, tunnels, 1,600km tree
break to stop soil loss in Dust Bowl.
7% of budget to arts (writers,
actors, musicians)
AAA – restricted production, 1933 -1939 farm
income doubled, 6m piglets, cotton ploughed
back into the ground. Tenant farmers evicted
Needy
FERA - $500 million for homeless and starving.
Soup kitchens, clothing and employment
schemes
HOLC – over 1m people received loans so that
they did not lose their homes
NRA (setup under the NIRA). Increase wages,
increase factory good prices, better working
conditions. Fixed prices for goods, set minimum
wages, limited workers’ hours, workers allowed
to join trade unions
TVA- poverty stricken area cutting through
seven states. Revive agriculture and industry. 33
dams on the Tennessee river. Power stations,
cheap electricity to businesses and domestic
consumers. Thousands of jobs (light
engineering) and land conservation and
improvement.
Social Security Act – pension for
over 65 years old, sick, disabled,
mothers with dependent children
and unemployment payments
Wagner Act – workers allowed to
form trade unions and could not be
sacked for being union members