New Deal Critics
Angela Brown
Chapter 13
Section 3
1
The Limits of the New Deal
• Fair labor standards act covered less than
¼ of all employed workers
• Minimum wage 25 cents an hour – was
less than what most workers already made
2
Women
• Many aspects of New Deal legislation put
women at a disadvantage
• NRA codes allowed lower wages for
women’s work
• Men and boys received preference in relief
and work programs
• Domestic service was not protected
3
African Americans
• Federal relief programs reinforced
segregation
• African Americans not offered professional
skilled jobs and they received low pay for
the same work
• African Americans in the North had not
supported FDR in 1932 – but did in 1936 –
those that were employed appreciated it
• AA abandon the republican party of
4
Lincoln and vote democrat
• Employment of only white’s in whiteowned businesses in black neighborhoods
continued
• African Americans picketed and boycotted
businesses slogan “Don’t shop where you
can’t work.”
• Lynchings increased
5
• Anti-lynching bills (to make lynching a fed.
Crime) failed in Congress – FDR would not
push- Congress would not have passed anything
if he turned off Southern Democrats
• FDR appointed more African Americans to
policy-making posts than any President before
• FDR seemed generally concerned for fate of
African Americans
6
Political Critics
New Deal Does Too Much
• Some republicans believed New Deal went too
far
• Revenue Act of 1935 = Wealth Tax Act –
raised tax rate on individual incomes over
$50,000 and corporations
• Social Security Act criticized – enemies
claimed it penalized successful hardworking
people – others saw number as first step toward a
militaristic regimented society
7
• American Liberty League – 1934 – lead
opposition to New Deal – led by Alfred E.
Smith (Democratic Presidential Candidate,
John J Raskob and the Dupont family
• New Deal limited individual freedom –
compulsory unemployment Insurance
smacked of “Bolshevism”
8
New Deal Does Not Do Enough
• Progressives and socialists said New Deal not
enough
• 1934 Upton Sinclair ran for governor of
California – called for new economic system with
state owned factories and farms – Sinclair won
primary
• Terrified opponents produced fake newsreels
showing people speaking in Russian accents
praising Sinclair – he lost
9
Other Critics
• Demagogues – leaders who manipulate others
with half-truths, deceptive promises, and scare
tactics
• Father Coughlin – Detroit Radio Priest – 10
million people “National Union for Social
Justice”
• Advocated Nationalization or conversion to
government ownership of banks – another time
defended sanctity of private property
• Supported FDR – later denounced
10
Other Critics
• Late 1930s made anti-jewish statements
and praised Hitler and Mussolini
• 1942 Roman Catholic officials ordered him
to stop broadcasting
• Huey Long – Louisiana Lawyer – U.S.
Senate with eyes toward the presidency –
first supported FDR then broke with him
11
Huey Long
• “Share-the Wealth” program (limit individual
incomes to $1 million/inheritance to $5 million –
government takes the rest)
• give all Americans “homestead allowance”
minimum $5000 and a minimum annual income
of $2000
• Influence pushed FDR to propose new taxes on
wealthy in Second New Deal
• Assassinated in 1935 by son-in-law of political
enemy
12
*Welfare State
• The many programs that FDR created to
help those in need led to the rise of a
welfare state in the US.
• A government that assumes responsibility
for providing for the welfare of children
and the poor, elderly, sick, disabled, and
unemployed.
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