New
New
Year 11
AQA

Opposition to the New Deal

I can explain the reasons for and impact of opposition to the New Deal.

New
New
Year 11
AQA

Opposition to the New Deal

I can explain the reasons for and impact of opposition to the New Deal.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Some Republicans continued to support a laissez-faire approach.
  2. Some businesses resented increased government interference under the New Deal.
  3. Radicals argued that the New Deal did not do enough to help the American people.
  4. Roosevelt's New Deal won widespread support as part of his landslide election victory in 1936.
  5. The Supreme Court declared some parts of the New Deal to be unconstitutional.

Keywords

  • Laissez-faire - laissez-faire beliefs suggest that the government should not interfere with the economy

  • Radical - a radical is someone who believes there should be major social and political change

  • Unconstitutional - something may be declared unconstitutional if it is not allowed under the laws of a political system

Common misconception

The only reason people opposed the New Deal was because it increased costs for the rich and wealthy.

Radical opposition to the New Deal was based on the idea that it did not do enough to help the poor. Opposition from the Supreme Court was based on judgements that some aspects of the New Deal were unconstitutional.

Get pupils to study the 1933 cartoon 'priming the pump'. Ask students (1) to recall what Roosevelt's phrase 'priming the pump' meant; (2) what message the cartoon's author was trying to convey about the New Deal.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Write the missing word. The government is the national government of the USA.
Correct Answer: federal, Federal
Q2.
What was the main aim of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)?
relief
Correct answer: recovery
reform
Q3.
Write the missing word. of alcohol in the USA ended in 1933.
Correct Answer: Prohibition, prohibition
Q4.
What did the 1933 Economy Act do?
increased government spending
raised taxes
Correct answer: cut government salaries
Q5.
How did American unemployment change between 1933 and 1939?
increased significantly
increased slightly
remained the same
Correct answer: decreased slightly
completely eliminated
Q6.
Why were many African American women unable to claim social security?
There were racial restrictions on who could claim social security.
American women were not able to claim social security.
Correct answer: Not all types of job were covered by social security.

6 Questions

Q1.
Match each keyword with its correct definition.
Correct Answer:laissez-faire,belief that the government should not interfere with the economy

belief that the government should not interfere with the economy

Correct Answer:radical,someone who believes there should be major social and political change

someone who believes there should be major social and political change

Correct Answer:unconstitutional,something which is not allowed under the laws of a political system

something which is not allowed under the laws of a political system

Q2.
What type of opponent to the New Deal was Charles Coughlin?
business owner
Correct answer: radical
Republican
Supreme Court judge
Q3.
What type of opponents to the New Deal were most leading members of the American Liberty League?
Correct answer: business owners
radicals
Republicans
Supreme Court judges
Q4.
How many Alphabet laws had been outlawed by 1936?
none of them
four out of 16
seven out of 16
Correct answer: 11 out of 16
all of them
Q5.
Which inference is most valid based on the outcome of the 1936 presidential election?
Republican laissez-faire beliefs were as popular as Roosevelt's New Deal.
Correct answer: Republican laissez-faire beliefs were less popular than Roosevelt's New Deal.
Republican laissez-faire beliefs were more popular than Roosevelt's New Deal.
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
1 - Great Depression begins.
2 - Roosevelt elected president.
3 - Alphabet Agencies introduced.
4 - The AAA declared unconstitutional.
5 - Roosevelt re-elected.
6 - Roosevelt fails to pack the Supreme Court.

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