Was the New Deal a Success?

Late 1930s FDR became cautious after SC failures 1937: Economy looking better so FDR cut ND budget (Republicans pushed for it) Many workers in ND programs laid off Loss of confidence triggered renewed recession 1937 recession hurt FDR badly Middle-class voters leaned Republican in ’38 Harder now for FDR to push programs through Congress 1940: FDR elected to 3 rd term FDR still personally popular Fewer Americans supported New Deal than in 1933 FDR & Americans focused on wars in Europe & Asia

FDR became cautious after SC failures

1937: Economy looking better so FDR cut ND budget (Republicans pushed for it)

Many workers in ND programs laid off

Loss of confidence triggered renewed recession

1937 recession hurt FDR badly

Middle-class voters leaned Republican in ’38

Harder now for FDR to push programs through Congress

1940: FDR elected to 3 rd term

FDR still personally popular

Fewer Americans supported New Deal than in 1933

FDR & Americans focused on wars in Europe & Asia

Was the New Deal a success? Read, don’t write: Only one other president (Hoover) faced similar challenges No one doubts that FDR did better that Hoover No one doubts that FDR tried his best Still, historians debate whether or not FDR’s policies were successful Now, you will chose a position, based on the evidence Text in black is a favorable view of the ND Text in red in an unfavorable view

Read, don’t write:

Only one other president (Hoover) faced similar challenges

No one doubts that FDR did better that Hoover

No one doubts that FDR tried his best

Still, historians debate whether or not FDR’s policies were successful

Now, you will chose a position, based on the evidence

Text in black is a favorable view of the ND

Text in red in an unfavorable view

Activity: Was the New Deal a success? For each of the six aspects of the New Deal, decide where you would place it on the scale. Explain your score and support it with evidence from your notes. After all six aspects are marked, explain your answers to a partner Working together, try to come up with an agreed mark for the whole of the New Deal. You will have to think about the relative importance of different issues. For example, you might give more weight to a low mark in an important area than to a high mark in a less important area. -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 Failure Success

For each of the six aspects of the New Deal, decide where you would place it on the scale. Explain your score and support it with evidence from your notes.

After all six aspects are marked, explain your answers to a partner

Working together, try to come up with an agreed mark for the whole of the New Deal. You will have to think about the relative importance of different issues. For example, you might give more weight to a low mark in an important area than to a high mark in a less important area.

Fin