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Political Pressure and the Second New Deal. Tony Nguyen. Business Opposition. Business Opposition. Partial economic recovered => wealthy business leaders became vocal critics of New Deal. Some accused: too much taxation and government regulation.
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Political Pressure and the Second New Deal Tony Nguyen
Business Opposition • Partial economic recovered => wealthy business leaders became vocal critics of New Deal. • Some accused: too much taxation and government regulation. • Some condemn: deficit financing of relief and public works. • 1934, leaders of major corp. joined with Al Smith (former presidential candidate). • No longer support conservative Democrats to establish American Liberty League. • This group created campaign against New Deal “radicalism”. • Liberty League attempted • Turn southern white against the New Deal and split Democratic Party. • Also secretly send and allow funds to racist group in South.
Demagogues and Populist Demagogues: a political leader who tries to get support by making false claims and promises and using arguments based on emotion rather than reason
Demagogues and Populist • Populists thought government favored business too much + paid too little attention to the needs of common people. • Unemployment decreased, but still 9 million people unemployed. • Dissatisfaction raised, and appeal of various demagogues. • Sought power by • playing to the prejudices, • unreasoning passions of the people, • presented simple explanation for their difficult situation.
Demagogues and Populist • With social welfare left to the states, only 400,000 of 6.6 million elderly Americans received any sort of state-supplied pension. • Employment and savings disappeared with the depression => • Elder fell into desperate poverty.
Father Charles Coughlin • Roman Catholic priest • Weekly radio => appealed to the fears and frustrations of people. • People who: lost control of lives to the elites and impersonal forces. • Increasing anti-New Deal, Coughlin also increasing anti-Semitic. • He stated that the cause of their troubles/problems was International conspiracy of Jewish banker.
Dr. Francis Townsend • Public health officer in CA • Proposed: Americans (60+) should receive government pension. 200$ a month. Financed by a new “transaction” (sales) tax. • Failed! ¾ Americans worker => earned 200$(-) a month. Sales tax rates same for everyone =>People w/ less income - loss more into taxes. • Another proposed: Massive transfer of income From the working poor => non-working elderly • However, ⅕ American adults Concerned about the condition of the elderly - not the funding.
Huey Long • Successful populist demagogue • 1928, elected for governor of Louisiana. • At first, support New Deal => Believe Roosevelt had fallen captive to big business.
Huey Long 1934 • Countered with Share Our Wealth Society. • Argue for the seizure of all income exceeding $1 million a year and of wealth in excess of $5 million per family. From these funds • Government would provide • Family annual income of $2,000 and one-time homestead allowance of $5,000 • Long’s plan was impossible. • Long died in September 1935.
Left-Wing Crisis • Political left was gaining ground. • Wisconsin, re-elected Robert La Follette Jr. to Senate. • Provide 7 of state’s 10 representatives in Congress. • Muckraker and socialist Upton Sinclair • Won Democratic gubernatorial nomination in CA • Slogan “End Poverty in California”
Left-Wing Crisis • US Communist Party • Found new support, • Change its strategy: • Disclaim intention of overthrowing US government • Cooperate with left-wing labor unions, student groups and writers’ organizations in a “Popular Front” against fascism abroad and racism at home.
Bibliography • Norton, Katzman, Blight, Chudacoff, Logevall, Bailey, Paterson, and Tuttle, A People and A Nation, Boston New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005, 557.
