New Deal Liberalism

Examples of New Deal Liberalism in the following topics:

• A Halfway Revolution

  • The New Deal is often called the "halfway revolution," because many argue that the New Deal did not go far enough.
  • The New Deal has often been called the "halfway revolution. " Essentially, this critique of the New Deal claims that the New Deal did not go far enough in its social or economic reforms.
  • Despite the criticisms that the New Deal did not go "far enough," the New Deal was at least a "halfway" revolution, a major step for liberalism in the United States.
  • In this way, it is argued that the New Deal was only a "halfway revolution. "
  • As mentioned, while it is often criticized that the New Deal did not go far enough as far as social reform, the United States has a number of social welfare programs that trace their legacy to the New Deal era.

• The Second New Deal

  • In 1935, the Roosevelt administration unveiled legislation that would be known as the Second New Deal.
  • This "Second New Deal" was noted to be more liberal and more controversial than the "First New Deal" of 1933–34.
  • The work programs of the "First New Deal" were solely meant as immediate relief, destined to run less than a decade.
  • The Second New Deal also addressed housing.
  • The United States Housing Authority was one of the last New Deal agencies.

• The Fair Deal

  • The term has also been used to describe the domestic reform agenda of the Truman Administration, which governed the United States from 1945 to 1953, and marked a new stage in modern liberalism in the United States.
  • A liberal Democrat, Truman was determined both to continue the legacy of the New Deal and make his own mark in social policy.
  • The liberal task of the Fair Deal was to spread the abundant benefits throughout society by stimulating economic growth.
  • Solidly based upon the New Deal tradition of Truman's predecessor FDR in its advocacy of wide-ranging social legislation, the Fair Deal differed enough to claim a separate identity for Truman.
  • According to Eric Leif Davin, the 1949-50 Congress: "was the most liberal Congress since 1938 and produced more 'New-Deal-Fair-Deal' legislation than any Congress between 1938 and Johnson’s Great Society of the mid-1960s.”

• Challenges to the New Deal

  • The American Liberty League was a non-partisan organization formed in 1934 in opposition to the New Deal.
  • The proposal provoked vast opposition, including among some liberals.
  • The court-packing plan strengthened conservative opposition to the New Deal.
  • The Coalition's members did not form a solid anti-New Deal legislation voting bloc.
  • The results of the 1938 midterm election demonstrated that the dissatisfaction with New Deal policies grew.

• Opposition from the Courts

  • During Roosevelt's first term, the Supreme Court had struck down several New Deal measures intended to bolster economic recovery during the Great Depression, leading to charges from New Deal supporters that a narrow majority of the court was obstructionist and political.
  • Parrish by a 5–4 ruling, after Associate Justice Owen Roberts had joined the more liberal members.
  • Additionally, many Justice Department lawyers were ideologically opposed to the New Deal and failed to influence either the drafting or review of much of the White House's New Deal legislation.
  • However, early wins for New Deal supporters came in Home Building & Loan Association v.
  • Presided over the New Deal Era.

• The Last of the New Deal Reforms

  • Historians continue to debate when the New Deal ended.
  • Although traditionally the New Deal is divided into two stages (First New Deal, 1933-34/5 and Second New Deal 1935-38), some historians refer to the final phase of the New Deal as the Third New Deal.
  • A handful of liberal measures did pass when the Conservative Coalition was divided (most notably the minimum wage laws).
  • Despite the continuous economic crisis and hardships, the New Deal was largely over by 1939, where this family was seeking New Deal benefits.
  • Examine the last New Deal programs pushed through by the Roosevelt administration

• Court Packing

  • The New Deal agenda was an unprecedented effort to battle the Great Depression.
  • Additionally, many Justice Department lawyers failed to influence either the drafting or review of much of the White House's New Deal legislation and had doubts about quickly and poorly drafted New Deal proposals.
  • However, political opposition to the Bill emerged immediately, not only among anti-New Deal conservatives.
  • By 1937, an informal yet strong group of congressmen and representatives opposing the New Deal formed in Congress.
  • His failure to prevent poorly-drafted New Deal legislation from reaching Congress is considered his greatest shortcoming.

• The Federal Reserve Act

  • In contrast to the Republicans, the liberal Democrats opposed all banking schemes and strenuously denounced private banks and Wall Street.
  • The decision to create twelve regional banks was meant to weaken the influence of the powerful New York banks, a key demand of Bryan's allies in the South and West.
  • The final Federal Reserve Act passed in December 1913, and most bankers criticized the plan for giving too much financial control to Washington, while liberal reformers claimed that it allowed bankers to maintain too much power.
  • The new system began operations in 1915, playing a significant role in financing the Allied and American war effort.
  • Despite the fact that the Act intended to diminish the influence of the New York banks, the New York branch continued to dominate the Federal Reserve until the New Deal reorganized and strengthened the Federal Reserve in the 1930s.

• Wartime Politics and the 1944 Election

  • The Republicans campaigned against the New Deal, seeking a less-regulated economy against a still popular President Roosevelt.
  • His Republican opponent in 1944 was New York Governor Thomas E.
  • The Republicans campaigned against the New Deal, seeking a smaller government and less-regulated economy as the end of the war seemed in sight.
  • Dewey did better against Roosevelt than any of FDR's previous three Republican opponents, and he did have the personal satisfaction of beating Roosevelt in FDR's hometown of Hyde Park, New York, and of winning Vice President-elect Truman's hometown of Independence, Missouri.
  • FDR defeated Thomas Dewey, Governor of Roosevelt's home state of New York, in the election of 1944.

• Conclusion: The Legacy of the New Deal