The New Deal Coalition &
Opposition
What political forces bring the New Deal
together and why do some oppose it?
R. Brown 2008
What we are trying to accomplish
Use a simple logical progression to
impart understanding of a complex era
 Breaking down into a series of common
pieces or parts that are used to build
conceptual understanding and
evaluation
 Analyze three documents that are
crucial to understanding the impact of
the New Deal

R. Brown 2008
The Schedule
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
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
Intro / Background
Indirect Causes
Direct Causes
Events
Impact
Good / Bad?
R. Brown 2008
Introduction
FDR brought in a new type of administrator to the
federal government. Instead of the uber-wealthy
patrician, he brought in Ivy Leaguers and social
reformers. Their underlying philosophy was that the
national government had the right and duty to
intervene in the economy to improve the lives of
Americans. These reformers were not necessarily
political or economic ideologues, but were
pragamatists. They tried something, if it didn’t work
then they tried something else.
R. Brown 2008
Introduction
Perhaps the only common vein running through
FDR’s Brain Trust was that they did not believe in
pure laissez faire economics. Rather they believed
generally that the government had more responsibility
than under the “old” system but were at odds over
exactly how. There were anti-trust men, there were
men who wanted central economic planning, and
there were others who wanted the government and
business to cooperate.
R. Brown 2008
What brings together a diverse
collection of groups to support
the New Deal?
R. Brown 2008
Indirect Causes

Forgotten Man
 African-Americans
 Southerners
 Ethnic Northerners


Catholics
Jews
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Direct Causes

Impact of
Depression
 Eleanor Roosevelt
 Brain Trust
 African-American
Vote
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Events
I think we have seen enough of this to
call it quits for a while
 There is more to come though

R. Brown 2008
Impact

Creation of
Alphabet
agencies
 Attempts to ease
the depression
 Improvement in
unemployment
and GNP
 Unfairness in
implementation of
programs
R. Brown 2008
Blessing or Burden?

Was the New Deal a blessing or a
burden?
 Was

it good or bad?
If you were the President during the
Depression what would you do?
R. Brown 2008
Anti-New Deal or More New
Deal?
Opposition to New Deal from Left and
Right
R. Brown 2008
Reasons of Opposition

Left
 New Deal didn’t do
enough
 Relief was run
through local pols
 The rich had not
been reigned in





Right
Was too socialistic
Cost too much
Communists in WPA
FDR being
dictatorial
R. Brown 2008
Huey P Long

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The King Fish
Every Man a King
Share Our Wealth
Tax the hound out of
the wealthy
Assassinated in the
La State House
R. Brown 2008
Every Man a King
ARTIST
 What is meant by the motto “Every Man
a King”?
 How will every man become a king?
 What are the parts of this plan?
 Where did all of the problems stem
from?

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Father Coughlin & Dr Townshend

Microphone
Messiah
 Social Justice
Program

Old Age pensions
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Father Coughlin
ARTIST
 He lists 15 things that are social justice,
what do they have in common?
 How does the National Union feel about
private property?
 What do they want to do with utilities?
 How long will this movement take to
accomplish?

R. Brown 2008
Dr. Townshend
ARTIST
 Why do old people need pensions?
 How will this program be funded?
 How does the good doctor see our
attitude toward government as wrong?
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R. Brown 2008
Impact of anti-New Dealers
Curbing of New Deal by 1936
 Congressional controls
 Court Packing fiasco

 Will

see this in a little bit
Southern opposition to civil rights
clauses
R. Brown 2008
Anti-New Dealers

Burden or Blessing?
 Did

they do good or bad?
If you had been the President what
would you have done in response to
their attacks?
R. Brown 2008