The document discusses the New Deal programs established under President Franklin D. Roosevelt to address the Great Depression, known as the "Alphabet Agencies." It describes three major agencies: the Civil Works Administration (CWA) which built infrastructure projects to employ the unskilled unemployed; the Public Works Administration (PWA) which focused on larger construction projects to employ skilled workers; and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) which also created jobs for the unskilled through arts, drama, and other projects. The document argues these New Deal programs aimed to "prime the pump" by increasing government spending, job creation, wages, and demand to reverse the "Spiral of Depression" gripping the country.

1. The New Deal
Alphabet Agencies:
W.P.A.
By Mr RJ Huggins
Adapted by J. Marshall, 2009

2. Key Quotes: FDR’s Inauguration
Speech
This Nation asks for action,
and action now. Our
greatest primary task is to
put people to work. I shall
ask Congress for broad
executive power to wage
was against the emergency.

3. The New Deal: Alphabet
Agencies
 The Alphabet Agencies were set up to
help reverse the “Spiral of Depression.”
 The main aim was to pump money back
into the economy by giving the
unemployed jobs.
 Not everyone within the Democratic Party
agreed exactly how this should be done.

4. Causes of the Depression
Demand
drops.
In order to
stay in business
companies cut
wages
People lose their
confidence &
start saving their
money
Fewer goods
are sold.
People lose
their jobs.
The Spiral
Of
Depression
Even more people
Lose their confidence
And spend less money
Demand
drops even
further.
Companies are
forced to cut costs
by laying people off

5. Reversing the Spiral of Depression
Alphabet
Agencies
More jobs
More spending
Demand for
goods increases
More goods have
to be produced
Government
spending $
More pay =
More taxes
Cycle
Democrats called
this of
process
‘Priming the pump’
Prosperity!
More jobs
More goods have
to be produced
Demand for
goods increases
More people with
jobs = more pay $
More
spending

6. How do you put the USA back to
work?
Vs.

7. Harry Hopkins
Work Relief preserves a
man’s morale. It saves his
skill. It gives him a
chance to do something
socially useful
Set up two key Alphabet
Agencies: CWA & WPA
which aimed to help the
unskilled unemployed.
Criticised for wasting taxpayers money on ‘boondoggles.’

8. CWA = Civil Works
Administration
 Built 800,000 km of
roads.
 Built 40,000 schools
 Built 500 airports &
rebuilt 500 more.
 Built 150,000 public
toilets.
Boondoggling
 Paid people to sweep
up leaves in the parks.
 Paid unemployed
actors to give free
shows.
 Hired 100 people to
scare pigeons away
with balloons from
public buildings in
Washington DC.

9. Harold Ickes
‘My PWA will will give
work to the unemployed
by creating things of
lasting use to the nation.’
 Set up the PWA which
gave jobs to the skilled
unemployed.
 Was very careful how he
spent taxpayers’ money.

10. PWA = Public Works
Administration
 Built 70% of USA
schools.
 Built 35% of USA
hospitals.
 Built four river dams.
 Electrified the New
York/Washington
railway.
 Built 50 military
airports.
 Built two aircraft
carriers.
 Built four cruisers &
destroyers for the
US Navy.
 Built a new sewage
system in Chicago.
PWA only provided jobs for the skilled unemployed!

11. But what about the
unskilled unemployed?
In response to being accused
of ‘boondoggling’, when he
gave unemployed librarians
jobs cataloguing historical
documents, Hopkins replied:
‘Hell, they’ve got to eat
just like other people.’
In 1934, the CWA was shut down because it
was wasting money

12. What about the unskilled
unemployed?
• In 1935, after a terrible
winter FDR decided to
help the unskilled
unemployed by setting
up WPA with Harry
Hopkins in charge.
• The PWA continued
working until 1939.

14. WPA = Works Progress
waste
Administration
 Built 11,000 schools.  Employed 12,000
actors to put on plays
 Built 70,000 km of
and concerts to cheer
roads.
people up!
 La Guardia airport in
 Employed artists and
New York.
painters to make
 Employed
paintings for display in
photographers to
schools and public
make a record of the
buildings.
Depression.
 Gave work to 2 million
‘Boondoggles?’
people a year.

15. Recap: Reversing the Spiral of
Depression
Alphabet
Agencies
More jobs
More spending
Demand for
goods increases
More goods have
to be produced
Government
Spending $
More pay =
More taxes
Cycle
Democrats called
of
this process
‘Priming the pump’
Prosperity!
More jobs
More goods have
to be produced
Demand for
goods increases
More people with
jobs = more pay $
More
spending

16. Summary
Key Words
• In order to get a
grade ‘C’ upwards
in exams, you
must learn and
use the key words
& facts.
• These concepts
will be awarded as
key ‘knowledge.’
 Spiral of Depression
 Priming the pump
 Unskilled vs. skilled
workers
 ‘Boondoggling’
 CWA, WPA & PWA
 Alphabet Agencies

17. Exam Question 1
• How useful is this source for explaining how the
New Deal put America back to work?

18. Mark Scheme
Level Grade
Description
1-2
F/D
Simple undeveloped answer lacking a
thesis
2-3
D/C
Attempts a thesis and uses or
combines some information from the
sources.
4-5
C/B
Clear thesis and uses sources & own
relevant knowledge / concepts.
6
A
Well-written and balanced answer
covering both parts of the question

19. For
 PWA = Public Works
Administration.
 ‘Alphabet Agency’
designed to reverse the
‘Spiral of Depression’ and
kick start demand
 Jobs created for skilled
construction workers: E.g.
Builders & Plumbers
deducted from poster
Against
 No mention of WPA
which was set up to
create jobs for the
unskilled workers such
as actors &
photographers.
 Photograph taken by a
WPA photographer.
6 = an answer which includes one from
each column.

20. Exam Question 2
• How successful
was the New deal
at putting USA
back to work?
Use the source
and your
knowledge to
explain your
answer.

21. For
 FDR = Roosevelt taking
‘Action’ to end the
Depression.
 FDR is Pouring tax
payers money to reverse
the ‘Spiral of Depression.’
= ‘Pump Priming.’
Against
 New Deal wasting
money 16 billion spent
on ‘boondoggles’ jobs
created by alphabet
agencies such as CWA &
WPA.
 Ex.: Scaring pigeons with
balloons
6 = an answer which includes one from
each column.

22. End