The poor, homeless and unemployed supported the New Deal. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) 1933, provided short term relief for the hungry and homeless in the form of soup kitchens, blankets and clothing. Money was spent on employment schemes and nursery schools. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation loaned money to state and local governments to assist the poor. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) 1933 was aimed at unemployed young men. Single men aged 18-25 worked for six months in camps. Around 2.5 million young men were helped by the CCC. The Civil Works Administration, (CWA) 1933-34 which was part of the National Industrial Recovery Administration (NIRA), created short term jobs on public work schemes. Four million jobs were created for things such as improving and building roads, schools and airports. The Public Works Administration (PWA) 1933 was much the same but tried to create long term rather than short term jobs. These were vital to America; schools, hospitals, airports, dams, bridges and battleships. The Second New Deal also gained the support of the unemployed because the Social Security Act set up unemployment insurance and the Works Progress Administration replaced the CWA. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) created many new jobs.
Farmers supported the New Deal because it set up the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA). This paid farmers to limit the amount of crops they grew or destroy crops already grown. The Federal Government bought farm animals and then slaughtered them. This raised the price of farm products. The AAA helped farmers to modernise and use methods which would conserve and protect the soil. This was assisted by the Soil Conservation Act. In cases of extreme hardship farmers got help with their mortgages. The Farm Credit Administration used Federal money to pay off farm creditors. Between 1933 and 37, farm prices doubled but in 1936 the AAA was declared unconstitutional. The TVA gave farmers new land.
The sick, elderly and widowed supported the Second New Deal because of the Social Security Act which created pensions for them.
Black Americans supported the New Deal because Federal relief programs were set up which helped poor Blacks, where previously they had had no government assistance. They were hired to build and enabled to occupy new housing.
Workers supported the New Deal because of the National Recovery Administration (NRA), the second part of the NIRA. It improved working conditions in industry and outlawed child labour. It was a voluntary scheme but over 2 million employers joined in order to display the eagle symbol of presidential approval. However the NRA was declared unconstitutional in 1935. Workers still supported the Second New Deal though because of the Wagner Act and the Fair Labour Standards Act (FLSA). The Wagner Act forced employers to recognise the existence of trade unions and their right to negotiate with employers for better pay and conditions. It covered employers who hadn’t joined the NRA in the first place. The FLSA cut workers hours and raised minimum wage for those in inter-state trade.
People who lived in the Tennessee Valley were supporters because the TVA was set up and it built a series of dams on the Tennessee River. They transformed the region providing electricity, irrigation, and thousands of new jobs.
Home owners supported the New Deal because it set up the Home Owners Loan Corporation which used Federal money to pay off mortgages.
The New Deal did however, face opposition from certain sectors. Speculators and wealthy Americans opposed it. Speculators opposed it because the Securities Exchange Commission placed regulations on the buying and selling of shares. Wealthy Americans did not like the increased taxes. The immense cost of the New Deal, financed by the American tax payer was not welcome, especially in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash where many had already suffered.
Some farmers and farm labourers disliked the New Deal. Some farmers thought that restrictions were too tight on what they could and could not produce. Many farm labourers became unemployed because of the AAA. The AAA also faced opposition from animal rights campaigners. Many animals were slaughtered unnecessarily by the Federal Government.
Business leaders disliked the New Deal because the NRA and the Wagner Act encouraged trade union support, meaning they often had to increase wages and improve conditions. The NRA set up a board to punish businesses that did not abide by their rules. The FLSA meant they had to pay many workers more money for working for less time.
Republicans and radicals did not support the New Deal because it didn’t agree with their political policies. For the Republicans it was the complete opposite of what they believed was right and for radicals the policies did not go far enough.
Although many Black Americans supported the New Deal because it offered improvements for them, it also faced opposition, especially in the South. Roosevelt was scared of losing his white supporters so Black Americans were often subjects of discrimination from Federal relief schemes. Encouraging farmers to take land out of production left 200 000 Blacks unemployed. The wage code allowed employers to pay Blacks less than whites. House clearance schemes often meant clearing out the Blacks. Despite this Blacks voted overwhelmingly for Roosevelt in the 1936 election.
State Governments opposed the New Deal because previously the Federal government never interfered with them. Now it did and that meant that the State governments had less power.
The most serious New Deal opposition came from the Supreme Court judges. They had the power to declare Roosevelt’s Acts unconstitutional. They did this with the NRA and the AAA. In 1936 Roosevelt asked Congress if he could appoint new Supreme Court judges so he could get his measures through. This alarmed the Americans who thought it would give Roosevelt too much power. He had to back down.
In conclusion; although Roosevelt did face opposition from the New Deal, much of it was inevitable, a programme such as this was unheard of in American history. The people that most opposed it were the wealthy and those with power. The reason they did not like the New Deal was because it took away power and money from them. The only other opposition really came from Republicans, radicals and farm labourers. The Republicans and radicals were obviously not going to support the New Deal because it was against their political policies. Although many groups opposed it for good reasons, the vast majority of Americans welcomed the New Deal because it helped them to improve their lives in both the long term and the short term.
