Transcript American History Chapter 22-2

American History Chapter 22-2
The Second New Deal
1934 - Democrats Controlled Congress
• Roosevelt’s Second Hundred Days:
• Second New Deal: A flurry of presidential &
congressional activity.
– There was a shift from giving direct aid to providing work
opportunities.
– WPA: Largest peacetime jobs program in U.S. history.
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Employed millions.
Built roads, airports, zoos.
Worked in schools, museums, factories.
Hired artists, writers, composers.
WPA
Centerpiece of the Second New Deal
• Social Security Act: Passed in 1935
– Provided a retirement pension for people 65 and
older.
– Included unemployment insurance.
• Provided funds to people while they looked for work.
– Excluded farmworkers, household workers, gov’t.
employees.
Labor and the New Deal
• Organized labor gained strength:
– NLRB was formed to allow workers to vote on unions.
– Congress for Industrial Organizations: CIO was formed by
John Lewis.
Labor Continued
• GM strike in 1936: The CIO led an autoworkers sitdown strike.
– Workers refuse to work and to leave the factory.
– After 6 wks. GM gave in – it was a huge victory for labor.
Election of 1936
• Dem. FDR v. Rep. Alf Landon.
Setbacks for Roosevelt
• FDR, in 1937, tried to get Congress to reorganize the
Supreme Court by making it larger.
– He hoped to “pack” the court with New Deal supporters.
– He failed & lost support from members of his own party.
Supreme Court 2011
• Members:
Chief Justice of the United States: JOHN G. ROBERTS, JR.
Associate Justices:
• ANTONIN SCALIA
ANTHONY M. KENNEDY
CLARENCE THOMAS
RUTH BADER GINSBURG
STEPHEN G. BREYER
SAMUEL A. ALITO, JR.
SONIA SOTOMAYOR
ELENA KAGAN
Setbacks Continued:
• Fall of 1937 saw another drop in the stock market.
– Led to 2 million layoffs.
– Gov’t. deficit was growing: Spending more $ than what it
takes in.
– Economist John Keynes suggested that deficit spending
provides jobs and stimulates the economy.
Do you think Mr. Keynes imagined this much
debt?