23.2 New Deal Critics
Limitations of the New Deal
►Fair
Labor Standards Act only set
minimum wage at $.25/hr.
►Less helpful to women and
minorities.
►Lower wages for women were
permitted and men were often
preferred for jobs.
►African
Americans were not
usually offered jobs at the
professional level.
►They were kept out of skilled jobs
and received lower pay than
whites.
►Early Depression saw an increase
in lynching.
►FDR did appoint a lot of African
Americans to policy making posts.
Political Critics
►The
Second New Deal saw an
increase of taxes on the rich.
►Revenue Act (Wealth Tax Act)
raised tax rate on individuals with
income over $50,000.
►Alfred Smith led the American
Liberty League in opposition to the
New Deal.
►Others
claimed the New Deal did
not do enough to eliminate
poverty.
►Wisconsin Progressive claimed the
New Deal did not “spread the
wealth around enough.”
Other Critics
►Father
Coughlin-Radio Priestweekly audience of over 10 mill
people.
►Popular at first but lost credibility
due to his shaky standings-first
support New Deal then not etc..
►Became anti-Jewish, praised Hitler
►Huey
Long
►Long wanted a complete
redistribution of wealth in the
country.
►Limit income to $1mill.
►He helped pressure FDR to levy
more taxes on wealthy.
►Executed by political rival in 1935.
Modern Day Critics
►Some
say New Deal threatened
American free enterprise.
►People opposed the idea of deficit
spending.
►People believed New Deal violated
free-market system.
►You decide.
FDR and Court Packing
►Constitution
makes no provision
for amount of Supreme Court
justices.
►Traditionally nine.
►FDR want to add at least 6 more.
►To ease the case load burden of
the aging judges or so he said.
►FDR
really wanted more judges in
there that would side with his way
of thinking.
►Get more legislation passed
through easier.
►Too much opposition forced to
withdraw his bill.