New Deal CriticsChapter 16, Section 2

***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.

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.

Deficit Spending

• Spending more money than is in the annual budget.

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