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Presidential Election of 1932

Presidential Election of 1932. The US economy was failing as the Depression entered its 4 th year

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Presidential Election of 1932

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  1. Presidential Election of 1932 • The US economy was failing as the Depression entered its 4th year • In 1932, A desperate US turned away from conservatism & voted for the Demo candidate- FDR. The election was a blowout. FDR’s optimism & promise of a “New Deal” for Ams echoed with the common people • However, his optimism could not hide the fact that the US was in crisis • ¼ of Ams were out of jobs (up from 3.2% in 1929) • The stock market had fallen from 224 to 58- proving our econ. Was unhealthy • 1000s of banks had collapsed; while others seized farms & homes in a desperate bid to stay afloat. • Am farmers were in worst position of all- Dust Bowl, famine, lost farms, no technical skills to work in cities so many move west (in a huge migration) • In cities, workers lost their jobs & began striking- resulting in deaths & injuries (in Detroit, workers chanted “Ford gave bullets for bread” when police fired on unemployed workers protesting/begging for jobs ) • Even schools closed as teachers went unpaid & students moved away

  2. The Rise of FDR • FDR’s upbringing was in stark contrast to the lives of most Ams. • He grew up in a mansion, took trips to Europe, & ate in private clubs • However, his parents instilled the values of simplicity, hard work, & compassion for the poor • After he graduated from Harvard, FDR became a lawyer, later a NY state senator, & ended up serving as Asst. Sec of the Navy • Just when things were beginning to burgeon w/ his career- he developed polio & was paralyzed • During his rehabilitation, spokesmen gave out only glowing reports, but the truth was he never walked again w/out 10 lb braces. • Afterward he helped restructure the Demo Party & served 2 terms as gov of NY • His commitment to govt taking a part in the recovery of the Depression swayed many voters in the 1932 election (vs. Hoover’s “rugged individualism”)

  3. Beginning of The New Deal • From his 1st day in office, FDR initiated series of fed programs designed to rescue US from G.D. • 1st he declared a bank holiday- shutting down every bank in the nation to prevent the public from continuing to w/draw funds • After this he launched a special session of Congress resulting in a huge # of laws & programs- it came to be known as the 100 Days • W/in 1 week, Congress passed both the Emergency Banking relief Act & the Econ Act to balance the budget (they debated over them only 40 minutes b/4 passing them)- both were Hoover left-overs • By summer of 1933, 75% of nation’s banks back in business & 1 billion had been deposited back in banks • Besides helping businesses, Congress passed laws aimed at the poor • The Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA) provided 500 mill in grants to the unemployed (short-term jobs) in cities • The Agricultural Adjustment Act was passed to help farmers- raised market prices on livestock & crops- also paid subsidies • The 100 Days also saw the creation of the TVA- used to build dams in rural TN • Several factors why New Deal programs successful: • Both Demos & Repubs worked together in Congress • FDR sought advice from wide range of intellectuals- he called Brain Trust-in creating ND programs • Finally FDR won support from common Ams w/ his fireside chats on the radio- instilling confidence where before there had been despair and fear.

  4. Work Programs • One of FDR’s most popular programs was the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) a work program est’d to relieve unemployment & poverty among young men. • In ‘33, the govt hired over 250,000 men b/t ages of 17-24to work in nat’l parks & forests: planting trees, repairing facilities, building trails, & stocking fish in lakes & rivers • By ’39, the CCC had provided work for 2.5 million Americans & improved America’s wilderness areas. • Like the CCC, the Works Progress Administration was a fed prog aimed at ending unemployment. • Targeted mainly blue-collar workers by funding construction projects across the country- • 650,000 miles of roads, 78,000 bridges, 125,000 bldgs, 700 miles of airport runways • It also attempted to aid artists by funding Fed. Writers Project, & Fed. Artists Project- • 225,000 concerts given to 150 million people & 475,000 works of art were created • @ same time, labor made gains from Nat’l Indus. Recovery Act (NIRA)- • Called for govt monitoring of big business to protect workers’ rights • Govt also supported workers by passing Fair Labor Standards Act • This eliminated child labor, est’d minimum wage, & called for higher OT wages • Yet, women & minorities cont’d to be underpaid & were often barred from union membership- So some felt the ND only paid lip service to labor struggles

  5. Critics of the New Deal • While most Ams praised the ND for saving the US, others raised questions about FDR’s approach to ending the GD • Some Af-Ams felt FDR was too concerned w/ Southern white Democratic voters & was not doing enough to support minorities’ economic gains • Others complained that FDR was exploiting different groups’ neediness in order to advance his own ambitions (i.e.- creating new programs just to gain votes) • Others complained b/c of the level of interference the ND took in Ams’ lives • Francis Townsend was CA dr. called for an extensive old-age policy for elderly- $200/month, but it had to be spent EVERY month (no saving!) • Huey Long said it wasn’t enough & called forthegovt to take millionaires’ $$ through taxation & spread it more evenly among the poor -Share Our Wealth -serious contender in ’36 election but killed by an assassin’s bullet • Fr. Charles Coughlin- a Cath priest & notorious anti-Semite complained that FDR was a tool of big business & part of a Jewish conspiracy-joined w/ Long’s & Townsend's successor Gerald Smith in Union Party but was trounced in election • Am Liberty League (ALL) was a major opponent of FDR. Composed of members of big business (GM, General Foods, Ford, etc) & conservative Democrats (yes they have those!!) who were alarmed @ FDR’s “socialist leanings.” • They complained that he was trying to “Sovietize” the Stock Exchange, railroads, radios, electrical power, & esp. labor. • Even as 1.5 million workers went on strike in ‘34 protesting unfair labor practices & bad conditions, they formed a Citizen’s Army which fought on behalf of employers

  6. 2nd Critics New Deal & Its Critics • In spite of criticism, FDR & Congress to experiment w/ ND progs & policies b/t ’34-35- beginning another set of progs dubbed the “2nd 100 Days” • FDR & a Demo-dominated Congress dumped 1 billion in dollars (nice alliteration, eh?) into the econ for: • Building public works & granaries for storage during droughts • Grants for writers & artists • Supported rural electrification projects, • Est’d the Social Security System • However, FDR’s successes making laws didn’t always enjoy the same success with the Supreme Court (whose job it is to determine the constitutionality of laws)- • In ’35, the SC declared certain laws designed to stop farm foreclosures uncon, then they looked at NIRA (FDR’s centerpiece for econ recovery) & did the same thing. • FDR grew increasingly frustrated- so he asked Congress for the power to appoint 6 new justices (claiming the current judges were too old & slow to get things done) • Congress (even a Demo Congress) was stunned @ the idea of his “Court-packing” idea. He succeeded only in offending Congress, alienating the SC, the Demo Party, & the Am public- who all thought it was sneaky

  7. Legacy of the New Deal • Three Legacies of FDR & New Deal • FDR reshaped the presidency & role of government than almost any other- assuming more power for the executive branch (in proposing laws & type f laws passed)- the fed govt became more centralized • Related to that the role of the government grew during this time- playing a larger & more direct role in people’s lives. The “welfare state” was created during this presidency as government accepted that it had a duty to take care of the needy • Third, Minorities became more involved in govt under the ND & cont’d to become more involved in government as decades passed (just like concept of welfare state cont’d to present day)

  8. The Big Idea/Question • Ultimately we have to ask these questions: • Did it work? & Was he a good president? • According to stats from ’29-’39 the ND was effective in restoring our econ health. • Rate of unemployment dropped every year from ’34 to ’37 • Overall # of business failures decreased during ’30s • Farmers benefited from subsidies (if not other progs like AAA) • Public confidence in banks improved • Overall millions of Ams were aided by ND progs & policies • However: • Unemployment was still high in ’38 (19%), • The gross National Product (GNP grew at a slow pace • Federal debt increased DRAMATICALLY • Only WWII shifted the US econ from surviving to thriving • War boosted GNP over 200% & unemployment dropped to 1.9% • FDR attempted an uncon move w/ his court-packing scheme (& the consequences would have been disastrous)& some of his progs did not work, but he was willing to try almost anything to help Ams break out of the GD

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