Opposition to the New Deal Flashcards
(21 cards)
Why did Republicans oppose Roosevelt and the New Deal?
- Threat to ‘rugged individualism’
- Different from laissez-faire policy
- Expansion of power could lead to dictatorship (disapproved packing plan)
- Deficit spending would negatively affect the economy
- Welfare policies would harm work ethic and create dependency
Why did wealthy Republicans regard him as a class traitor?
- FDR created policies to help the lower classes
- Taxes on the rich
- Pensions
Was Republican opposition to the New Deal effective?
- Failed largely (packing plan which led to divide in democratic party was more harmful than any republican opposition)
- Lost three elections in landslides
- Weakened by New Deal’s coalition (black supporters)
How did the wealthy view the New Deal?
- Resented FDR, he was an ‘old money’ aristocrat and was expected to be a Republican
- Hated that he helped lower class
- Refused to mention him by name
- Impacted profits of businesses in which they owned shares of
Why did businessmen oppose FDR?
- Government intervention would harm capitalism
- Viewed FDR’s policies (e.g. taxation, labour rights, NIRA) as threats to wealth
- Did not like ‘dependency culture’
In what ways did businessmen oppose FDR?
- Took him to court (‘sick chicken’ case)
- Formed Liberty League to distribute propaganda
- Treated Supreme Court judges who voted against New Deal legislation as celebrity heroes (lionised)
Was business opposition to the New Deal effective?
- Notable court victories (e.g. ‘sick chicken’ case)
- On the whole ineffective
- Won elections by a landslide
- Liberty League lost support and ceased to exist shortly
Who was Huey Long?
- Louisiana governor and senator
- Presidential ambitions
- Provided relief for the poor (spending large sums money on public works)
- Very charismatic speaker
- Leader-worship, dictatorship style
- Popular
What was Huey Long’s Share Our Wealth Program?
- Highly attractive
- Had 5 million members
- Proposals like free education, old age pensions, houses for ex-servicemen
- Guaranteed $5000 to all families
Why did FDR call Long ‘one of the two most dangerous men in America’?
- Effective dictator
- Political danger to FDR himself
- Power base from his program if he decided to run as an independent candidate
Why could Long not achieve his presidential ambitions?
Assassinated in 1935
Who was Father Charles Coughlin?
- Popular Catholic priest
- Effective radio broadcaster (30 million)
- Anti semitic
What similar views did Long and Coughlin have about the New Deal?
- Initially supported
- Criticised it because it did not go far enough
What coalition was formed between FDR opposition? And what was their goal?
- Huey P Long
- Popular campaigner Francis Townsend
- Father Coughlin
- Split enough democratic vote to allow Republicans to sneak in and win, so no more new deal
What happened to the coalition after Long was assasinated?
- Tried to carry on but weakened a lot because Long was the key figure
- Coughlin’s support reduced because of his anti-semitic rants on his podcast
- FDR stole Townsend’s single issue of old age pensions
- Long’s successor, Gerald Smith, just wasn’t the same
What isolated Coughlin from support?
- Increasingly anti-semitic views
- Attacked a well-liked president on his broadcast
What was the National Union for Social Justice (NUSJ)?
- Advocated for nationalisation of major industries
- Proposed fair wages and labour rights for the poor
- Had millions of members
Describe two key features of Huey Long’s Share Our Wealth program
- Income and wealth redistribution: cap on personal fortunes, would then be confiscated and given to the poor so every American could afford essentials
- Guaranteed minimum income and benefits: promised minimum income, benefits like free education and old-age pensions, reduce poor-rich gap, financial safety net for working classes
Describe two features of Father Charles Coughlin’s Social Justice Campaign
- Criticism of banking system: argued that economic hardship was caused by corrupt banking practices, advocated for nationalisation of banks, government control would benefit ordinary americans
- Advocacy for social reforms: range of proposals to improve life of working class, higher wages and reforms to protect workers from exploitation, promoted idea of safety nets for the poor
Why was Long to an extent unpopular?
- Opinion polls may be wrong
- Many did not believe that he could deliver $5000
- Constitution designed to prevent tyranny and there were parallels between Long’s style and Hitler’s / Mussolini’s
- Style: violence and making enemies, so he repelled many people
What year was election year?
1936
