The 2nd New Deal, Minorities, and FDR's Impact

1. What was the Works Progress Administration?
The Works Progress Administration was a program (headed by Harry Hopkins) that the Roosevelt administration and Congress set up, with a goal to quickly create as many jobs as they could for the people. It spent millions to give jobs to millions of workers, who ended up producing thousands of public buildings. It gave hope to people who now had jobs and received paychecks, and employed unskilled and skilled. It even made special efforts towards women, minorities, and young people.

2. How did the New Deal help labor? (Hint: Wagner Act)
The New Deal helped labor by getting the National Labor Relations Act, or the Wagner Act, passed. The Wagner Act protected the rights of workers to unionize and collectively bargain with employers, it prohibited unfair labor practices by employers, and it set up the National Labor Relations Board which listened to workers' testimonies of unfair practices and even held elections if unions wanted representation. Another act was passed called the Fair Labor Standards Act, which set maximum and minimum wages, set rules for the employment of workers under the age of 16, as well as prohibited hazardous work for workers under 18.

3. What benefits did the Social Security system provide?
 The benefits that the Social Security system provided were: old-age insurance for retirees 65 or older and their spouses, an unemployment compensation system, and aid to families with dependent children and the disabled.

4. Why was the “Black Cabinet” important to the Roosevelt administration?
The "Black Cabinet" was important to the Roosevelt administration because it was the first time that African Americans had that much say in the White House, and the "Black Cabinet" was able to advise the Roosevelt administration on racial matters.

5. Evaluate the actions and policies of the Roosevelt administration on civil rights.
Roosevelt never fully supported civil rights, the main reason being that he didn't want to lose the support of his southern supporters. Therefore he didn't approve two main goals of the civil rights movement: a federal anti-lynching law and and end to the poll tax. Also, many New Deal programs discriminated against African Americans, and gave them lower wages.

6. What changes occurred for Native Americans as a result of the New Deal?
As a result of the New Deal, Native Americans were given more freedom to govern themselves. In addition, their lands would given to a whole tribe, instead of being given to the government who previously did whatever it wanted with them. Native American children could go to boarding schools on their reservations, and the number of boarding schools in general was reduced. Lastly, Native American tribes were given the right to elect tribe councils to govern their reservations.

7. Why was the Wagner Act significant?
The Wagner Act was significant because it made working conditions better and increased bargaining power. It was for these reasons that Roosevelt gained the support of labor unions and workers.

8a. What were the New Deal Laws and Agencies created for LABOR? 8b. And, what were the lasting effects of these LABOR laws and agencies on American Government and Life?
a.) The New Deal laws and agencies created for LABOR were: the National Labor Relations Board (NLRC), the Wagner Act, and the Fair Labor Act.
b.)The lasting of effects of these labor laws and agencies on American government and life were: The NLRC still handles labor disputes between workers and employers today, the Wagner Act (which created the NLRC) and the Fair Labor Act "set standards for wages and hours, banned child labor, and ensured the right of workers to organize and to bargain collectively with employers." Wages and hours still have set standards, child labor is still banned, and workers continue to have these rights today.

9a. What were the New Deal Laws and Agencies created for AGRICULTURE AND RURAL LIFE? 9b. And, what were the lasting effects of these laws and agencies on American Government and Life?
a.) The New Deal laws and agencies created for AGRICULTURE AND RURAL LIFE were: the first and second Agricultural Adjustment Acts and the Commodity Credit Corporation. The government program that worked with rural electrification also was a result of the New Deal.
b.) The lasting effects of these laws and agencies on American government and life were: the Agriculture Adjustment Acts allowed it so that the Commodity Credit Corporation loaned farmers money. To do so, a set price would have to be established for individual farmers based on their crop surplus and parity price. This financial aid for farmers continued into the 2000s. Rural electrification helped to modernize rural parts of America that were previously without electricity; these rural areas have remained modernized in this way since then.

10a. What were the New Deal Laws and Agencies created for BANKING AND FINANCE?  10b. And, what were the lasting effects of these laws and agencies on American Government and Life?
a.) The New Deal laws and agencies created for BANKING AND FINANCE were: the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Glass-Steagall Act, and Social Security.
b.)The lasting effects of these laws and agencies on American government and life were: the SEC still monitors the stock market and enforces laws concerning the sale of stocks and bonds. The Glass-Steagall Act created the FDIC, which is still providing financial protection and insurance (of up to $100,000 in present day) for individual accounts. Social Security helped out people of certain circumstances financially (this will be expanded upon more in the response to the next question), and is still largely important and really helpful today.

11a. What were the New Deal Laws and Agencies created for SOCIAL WELFARE?  11b. And, what were the lasting effects of these laws and agencies on American Government and Life?
a.) The New Deal laws and agencies for SOCIAL WELFARE were: Social Security.
b.) The lasting effects of these laws and agencies on American government and life were: Social Security  has hugely impacted the lives of many Americans since it was founded, as it provided (and still provides) an insurance program for people of old age, people who are unemployed, people who are disabled, and families that have dependent children.

12a. What were the New Deal Laws and Agencies created for ENVIRONMENT?  12b. And, what were the lasting effects of these laws and agencies on American Government and Life?
a.) The New Deal laws and agencies created for ENVIRONMENT were: the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Soil Conservation Service, the Taylor Grazing Act, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
b.) The lasting effects of these laws and agencies on American government and life were: CCC built many public buildings that are still standing and used today, and they planted thousands of trees to help prevent another Dust Bowl in the future. They also made hiking trails and fire lookout towers. The Soil Conservation Service taught farmers how to conserve soil, and those techniques are still used today. The Taylor Grazing Act reduced grazing on public lands in order to avoid erosion and dust storms. The TVA used water power to generate electricity in the Tennessee Valley and to avoid floods in the future. What was done in the Tennessee Valley by the TVA still remains effective and in use today.

FDR and the New Deal

1. What plans did Roosevelt make in the four months while he waited to take office?        
While FDR waited to take office for four months, he worked with his so called "Brain Trust" and formed various new policies for a program that was to be called the New Deal, which was meant to remedy the problems created by the Great Depression.  



2. How successful were FDR's fireside chats?       
FDR's fireside chats were quite successful, and a clever way to encourage people in ways that would stimulate the economy. Because Roosevelt would explain what he was planning to do and the problems he was trying to fix in a way everyone could understand, many helped him out. For example, when he explained the situation with banking, people went out and put their money back into banks, now understanding that that would help the situation. 



3. How did New Deal programs affect various regions of the United States?       
New Deal programs affected various regions of the United States because some of the programs applied to people in rural areas, such as farmers, and others applied more to people in urban areas. Programs like NIRA and PWA applied to urban citizens, whereas the AAA directly applied to farmers and agriculture. The CWA planted trees so that another dust bowl might be avoided, which would benefit all the regions that were previously affected by it.


4. How did liberal and conservative critics differ in their opposition to the New Deal?         
Liberal critics felt that the New Deal could have done more to help the poor, and get involved in the economy system. On the other hand, conservative critics felt that the New Deal was too involved in individuals' rights and that it was spending too much on direct relief, they also felt that some of the New Deal policies were being used "to control business and socialize the economy." Conservatives felt some acts gave the government too much control. 

5. Do you think Roosevelt was wrong to try to "pack" the Supreme Court with those in favor of the New Deal? Explain your answer.      

Well, I think the New Deal was a smart plan that ultimately benefited the country, therefore I see why Roosevelt, being the president, thought it best to ensure that this program would continue. I think it may have been a better idea on his part to have gone about it better, by asking to reassign 2 or 3 members at first, instead of six. That way it would seem less obvious that he was trying to "pack" the supreme court with those in favor of the New Deal, and thus there would've been less outrage by the people in opposition to the New Deal at his proposition. 



6. Of the New Deal programs discussed in this section, which do you consider the most important?
 Explain your choice. Think About:
• the type of assistance offered by each program
• the scope of each program
• the impact of each program        

Of the New Deal programs discussed in this section, I consider the 1934 National Housing Act  the most important. This is because it created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The FHA provided loans for house repairs and mortgages, and it still is active today. Also, because of the huge amount of people that were desperately in need of home repairs or help to remain out of foreclosure during the Depression, this program from New Deal seemed to not only benefit a huge scope of people, but considering it has lasted up to today, also had the biggest impact.