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New Deal Critics Topic 5.4. ***Despite his critics, FDR was a hero to MILLIONS of Americans*** ***Even if his New Deal Policies did not perfectly help Americans economically, it gave hope to Americans. ***Hope & government aid for its citizens in time of need were the legacies of the New Deal.
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***Despite his critics, FDR was a hero to MILLIONS of Americans******Even if his New Deal Policies did not perfectly help Americans economically, it gave hope to Americans.***Hope & government aid for its citizens in time of need were the legacies of the New Deal.
Limitations of the New Deal • Women • Men received preferred hiring status in relief jobs • Many programs permitted lower pay for women • Social Security did not include domestic work.
Limitations of the New Deal • African Americans • Reinforced racial segregation • Excluded blacks from professional or “skilled” labor in large public works projects. • Did nothing to stop the rising tide of lynching
African Americans cont. • FDR didn’t want to alienate Southern Congressmen • Despite all this, FDR enjoyed wide support from blacks.
Critics of the New Deal The New Deal goes too far: • Many critics saw New Deal Programs as being socialistic • Critics called most New Deal Programs “un-American” because they “smacked of Bolshevism”, and limited personal freedom.
Critics of the New Deal • Conservative Republicans believed the Social Security System penalized Americans by forcing them to pay into a system that they might not need. • The rich HATED FDR!
The New Deal doesn’t go far enough: • Many New Deal critics (Socialists & Communists) said that New Deal programs should redistribute the personal wealth of the country & that the government should take even more control over the economy. • Progressive & liberal democrat critics complained that The New Deal did not eliminate poverty.
Demagogues • Demagogues are publicly recognized people whom use a strategy for gaining political power by appealing to the prejudices, emotions, fears, vanities, and expectations of the public—typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda, and often using nationalist, populist, or religious themes. During they Depression, this meant they made fiery speeches that were sometimes on the radio denouncing FDR and New Deal Policies.
Huey Long • Champion of rural poor. • Political critic of FDR. • Argued for the redistribution of wealth
Father Coughlin • Catholic Priest who was a flip-flopping critic of FDR. • Lost support because of Pro-Nazi sentiments • Both Coughlin and Long used half-truths and scare tactics, which lead them to become known as Demagogues
Modern Day Critics • Burdened the economy by creating “make-work” jobs rather allowing the free market to determine the need for jobs and farm products.
New Deal Programs were financed by heavier taxation that took money out of the pockets of consumers.
Spending more money than is in the annual budget. Deficit Spending
The Court Packing Fiasco • Because the Supreme Court had struck down some of his programs, FDR wanted to put an additional six judges on the court that were friendly to his ideas.
Critics from all sides condemned this action as an attack on separation of powers. (Most condemned FDR action of his presidency). American politicians & citizens believed this made FDR to powerful believing he was trying to take over the power of the Judicial Branch.
2nd New Deal cutbacks – FDR eventually started to scale back New Deal spending because of rising nation debt
