Deck 24: The New Deal

Question 1

The Tennessee Valley Authority of 1933

A) saw private farmers and business leaders dominate its planning process.
B) was the most controversial program of the early New Deal.
C) was one of the costliest failures of the Roosevelt administration.
D) was headed by former electricity magnate Samuel Insull.
E) was an experiment in regional planning by the federal government.

Answer 1

was an experiment in regional planning by the federal government.

Question 2

The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933

A) sought to raise crop prices by paying farmers not to plant.
B) set minimum prices for retailers purchasing farm products.
C) provided farmers with free seed and fertilizer.
D) offered financial incentives to farmers who improved their production yields.
E) created government warehouses where farmers could store their crops and use them as collateral.

Answer 2

sought to raise crop prices by paying farmers not to plant.

Question 3

The Economy Act of 1933

A) proposed to balance the federal budget and cut government workers' salaries.
B) ordered all federal agencies to cut their workforce by ten percent.
C) gave immediate pensions to retired war veterans.
D) provided an infusion of cash into the economy.
E) gave the government authority to curb irresponsible speculation by banks.

Answer 3

proposed to balance the federal budget and cut government workers' salaries.

Question 4

Beginning in 1933, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

A) offered financial protection for stock investors.
B) gave the government authority to transfer the funds of failing banks to strong banks.
C) protected the assets of bank depositors.
D) protected banks from failing.
E) prevented banks from speculating irresponsibly.

Question 5

In 1934, strong criticism of the New Deal came from

A) the political far right.
B) the political far left.
C) dissident populists such as Huey Long.
D) both the political far right and the political far left.
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 6

The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 established

A) the Federal Reserve Board in Washington.
B) the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
C) the Securities and Exchange Commission.
D) both the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 7

In 1935, Senator Huey Long

A) advocated a "flat tax" plan.
B) had proposed a national wealth-sharing plan that involved heavily taxing the wealthiest Americans.
C) had as much popular support as Franklin Roosevelt, according to opinion polls.
D) declared he would seek the Democratic nomination for president in 1936.
E) advocated a $200 monthly pension for all Americans over the age of 60.

Question 8

All of the following occurred as a result of the Tennessee Valley Authority EXCEPT

A) flooding being almost entirely eliminated in the affected region.
B) a decline in the cost of power from private companies.
C) significant reduction in poverty in the region.
D) improvements to water transportation.
E) electricity being provided to thousands of new users.

Question 9

The Civilian Conservation Corps

A) was racially integrated.
B) put the unemployed to work on rural and wilderness areas.
C) included women.
D) mostly employed the jobless rural poor.
E) passed Congress despite Roosevelt's ambivalence about the project.

Question 10

In 1934, the American Liberty League was formed

A) to help win public support for the more controversial New Deal programs.
B) by western business leaders who felt ignored by the New Deal.
C) to unite southerners who opposed the New Deal's support of unions.
D) by a coalition of radical and semi-radical organizations, including the Socialist Party.
E) by wealthy conservatives who strongly opposed the New Deal.

Question 11

The New Deal program that created utility cooperatives for rural Americans was the

A) Resettlement Administration.
B) Farm Security Administration.
C) Rural Electrification Administration.
D) Civilian Conservation Corps.
E) Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act.

Question 12

During President Franklin Roosevelt's early days in office,

A) he believed the Depression was largely over.
B) he promised to take drastic, even warlike, action against economic conditions.
C) the American people concluded the economy was not as bad off as they once had believed.
D) he attempted to hold the Hoover administration accountable for the economic crisis.
E) he showed a relative lack of interest in taking on the economic crisis directly.

Question 13

In 1934, Dr. Francis Townsend attracted widespread national support for a plan that

A) offered medical insurance for the poor and elderly.
B) was strongly supported by Congress.
C) helped pave the way for the Social Security system.
D) guaranteed all able-bodied Americans over age 21 a full-time job.
E) provided below-cost health care to children and pregnant women.

Question 14

Much of Father Charles Coughlin's outspoken criticism of the Roosevelt administration revolved around the issue of

A) the right of labor to organize in unions.
B) giving public relief jobs to women with children.
C) the repeal of prohibition.
D) changing the banking and currency system.
E) taxing excess corporate profits and surplus riches.

Question 15

During the first year of the National Recovery Administration,

A) industry saw prices decline.
B) industrial production rose.
C) large producers consistently dominated the code-writing process.
D) both of these occurred: industry saw prices decline, and industrial production rose.
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 16

During its first year, the Civil Works Administration

A) put four million people to work.
B) provided relief funds but not relief work.
C) planned for major building projects such as dams, airports, and power plants.
D) made little progress in helping the jobless.
E) was soon replaced by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration.

Question 17

The Agricultural Adjustment Act

A) favored small farm operations over large ones.
B) fostered further instability in the agricultural economy.
C) protected tenant farmers.
D) failed to improve farm prices.
E) was declared unconstitutional in large part by the Supreme Court.

Question 18

The National Recovery Administration of 1933 did all of the following EXCEPT

A) establish a minimum wage for labor.
B) make child industrial labor illegal.
C) set a standard for the maximum hours one could work in a week.
D) increase competition between companies.
E) set price and wage floors for most major industries.

Question 19

To oversee activities in the stock market, in 1934 Congress established the

A) Securities and Exchange Commission.
B) Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
C) Federal Reserve Board.
D) Glass-Steagall Act.
E) Federal Emergency Relief Association.

Question 20

In 1933, two days after he took office, President Franklin Roosevelt

A) took the country off the gold standard.
B) ended prohibition.
C) sent the National Industrial Recovery Act to Congress.
D) presented to Congress a relief plan for the unemployed.
E) closed all banks for a short period.

Question 21

The principle New Deal government aid to women during the 1930s was in the form of

A) industrial work relief.
B) free health care.
C) free child care.
D) cash assistance.
E) secretarial work relief.

Question 22

During the 1937 sit-down strike of General Motors, the federal government

A) actively sided with the strikers.
B) actively sided with the company.
C) assumed control of the plant.
D) negotiated a settlement through federal arbitration.
E) refused to intervene in the dispute.

Question 23

All of the following groups were part of the New Deal political coalition EXCEPT

A) big-business owners.
B) the working class.
C) urban blacks.
D) western and southern farmers.
E) liberals and progressives.

Question 24

The election of 1936

A) saw Franklin Roosevelt opposed by the Republican, William Lemke.
B) was considered "too close to call" by opinion polls in the weeks prior to the vote.
C) produced a new and enduring coalition of voters for the Democratic Party.
D) saw third-party challengers play a major role in the outcome.
E) saw the Republican challenger pick up considerable gains in the formerly "Solid South."

Question 25

In the 1930s, the industrial union movement

A) was most interested in attracting skilled laborers.
B) decided it was better to organize by companies than by entire industries.
C) grew more militant and powerful.
D) saw many of its leaders take top executive jobs in major companies.
E) became the dominant force in the American Federation of Labor.

Question 26

The Works Progress Administration of 1935

A) gave federal relief money to those deemed "unemployable."
B) displayed very little flexibility or imagination.
C) provided mostly "make-work" jobs to the unemployed.
D) was under the direction of Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins.
E) was much larger than previous programs of its kind.

Question 27

In 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt decided

A) that there should be a sharp increase in New Deal spending.
B) the federal government would never be able to end the Depression.
C) the federal work programs would have to be continued indefinitely.
D) that he should try to balance the federal budget.
E) that Social Security should be expanded to include agricultural and domestic laborers.

Question 28

The "Second New Deal" was launched partly in response to the

A) president's sympathy toward the ideas of Senator Long.
B) persistence of the Great Depression.
C) Supreme Court's decision to strike down the National Industrial Recovery Act.
D) political challenges of Senator Long and the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the National Industrial Recovery Act.
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 29

In 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt's call to expand the Supreme Court came from

A) complaints by several justices that they were being overworked.
B) a desire not to have to choose between two different popular candidates for chief justice.
C) a Democratic plan to gain the for the party permanent control of the federal government.
D) his opinion that the Court needed to review a larger number of cases.
E) his desire to change the ideological balance of the Court.

Question 30

In 1937, regarding the organizing of industrial labor,

A) small steel companies more quickly unionized than did large steel companies.
B) the effort to organize the steel industry proved easier than organizing in the auto industry.
C) the "Memorial Day Massacre" saw striking U.S. Steel employees killed by police.
D) the great majority of strikes were settled in favor of the unions.
E) a key strike against Republic Steel of Chicago succeeded in winning union recognition.

Question 31

All of the following programs were part of the Second New Deal EXCEPT

A) the Federal Emergency Relief Administration.
B) the Wagner Act.
C) the Holding Company Act.
D) higher tax rates for the wealthy.
E) the National Labor Relations Act.

Question 32

During the Second New Deal, President Franklin Roosevelt

A) moved away from altering the income tax.
B) called for greater civil rights for American minority groups.
C) introduced government-funded unemployment checks.
D) rejected legislative attempts by Senator Robert Wagner to strengthen labor.
E) became more willing to attack corporate interests openly.

Question 33

President Franklin Roosevelt's proposal to expand the Supreme Court

A) had little effect on future rulings by the Court.
B) did little political damage to his administration.
C) drew significant support from conservatives.
D) was eventually defeated in Congress.
E) gained Roosevelt the support of southern Democrats.

Question 34

In the 1930s, industrial unionism was

A) strengthened, partly, by New Deal legislation.
B) supported by the American Federation of Labor.
C) opposed by labor leaders such as John L. Lewis.
D) generally hostile to blacks and women.
E) losing support among unskilled laborers.

Question 35

The National Labor Relations Act of 1935

A) ended the labor practice of a "closed shop."
B) gave government the authority to force employers to accept labor unions.
C) enforced the labor practice of an "open shop."
D) resulted in the Supreme Court's striking down of the Wagner Act.
E) invalidated Section 7(a) of the National Industrial Recovery Act.

Question 36

In the 1930s, the Congress of Industrial Organization

A) grew out of a dispute within the American Federation of Labor.
B) was less militant than the American Federation of Labor.
C) would not accept women or blacks as members.
D) confined its organizing to the steel and coal industries.
E) refused to get involved in organizing the automobile industry.

Question 37

During the 1930s, the sit-down strike

A) was first used in the steel industry.
B) was a new and controversial labor tactic.
C) was upheld by the courts and state governments.
D) was eventually broken by the Michigan National Guard.
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 38

During the recession of 1937,

A) Congressional Republicans took most of the blame.
B) the economy was almost as bad as during the worst economic period of the Hoover administration.
C) industrial production faltered but employment remained steady.
D) it became apparent that New Deal programs had made little impact on economic conditions.
E) Roosevelt tried to mitigate the damage by reducing spending.

Question 39

The Works Progress Administration provided federal assistance to

A) artists and sculptors.
B) grooms and jockeys.
C) writers and musicians.
D) artists, sculptors, writers, and musicians.
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 40

The Social Security Act of 1935

A) initially only offered a pension for retired workers.
B) did not begin making payments to participants for years.
C) covered all full-time working American citizens.
D) was opposed by President Franklin Roosevelt as being too costly.
E) originally included a program for universal health-care.

Question 41

Early into his first term, President Roosevelt let it be known that balancing the federal budget was a high priority of his administration.

Question 42

The provisions of the National Industrial Recovery Act included a promise to workers that they could participate in collective bargaining, but there were no enforcement mechanisms in the legislation.

Question 43

The Agricultural Adjustment Act did not bring about a rise in farm prices in the years immediately following its passage in 1933.

Question 44

All the following statements regarding the New Deal and women are true EXCEPT that

A) the New Deal sanctioned sexually discriminatory wage rates.
B) New Deal relief agencies offered relatively little employment for women.
C) women were encouraged to leave the workplace to help men get jobs.
D) many occupations dominated by women were excluded from Social Security.
E) in general, women were major critics of the New Deal.

Question 45

The Supreme Court declared both the National Industrial Recovery Act and the Agricultural Adjustment Act to be unconstitutional.

Question 46

The Rural Electrification Administration was more effective and affected more people than did the Resettlement Administration.

Question 47

One long-term consequence of the New Deal was that

A) the government effectively redistributed the wealth among the American people.
B) it brought about a massive, long-term increase in federal power.
C) the national government assumed responsibility for the basic welfare of the people.
D) the influence of the government on the economy became greater than that of private businesses.
E) the government substantially transformed the distribution of power within American capitalism.

Question 48

John Collier is associated with New Deal

A) Indian policies.
B) programs for African Americans.
C) health programs for children.
D) initiatives for the working class.
E) administration of public works.

Question 49

By the end of 1938,

A) the nation had largely emerged from the Depression.
B) President Roosevelt began what became known as the "Third New Deal."
C) Congress had come to accept the need for further reforms.
D) the American public had come to strongly oppose the New Deal.
E) the New Deal had largely come to an end.

Question 50

The National Industrial Recovery Act sought to tighten antitrust provisions and make important concessions to labor.

Question 51

In the American West, New Deal programs

A) were limited and had a minimal impact on life.
B) focused on the few large cities.
C) led to a change in existing racial relations.
D) disproportionately benefited the region, with more funding than any other part of the country.
E) drew considerable opposition for their environmentalist bias.

Question 52

Under the New Deal, African Americans

A) were generally treated equally with other races.
B) received no significant appointments in the Roosevelt White House.
C) received more sympathy than under most previous administrations.
D) were able to challenge many patterns of race discrimination effectively.
E) found the government hostile to black aspirations.

Question 53

African Americans employed by New Deal relief programs

A) were paid the same wages as whites doing the same jobs.
B) were among the first to be released when funds ran out.
C) saw existing patterns of discrimination dismantled.
D) were both paid the same wages as whites doing the same jobs, and among the first to be released when funds ran out.
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 54

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938

A) signaled the start of a new round of New Deal legislation.
B) sought to eliminate hiring discrimination based on race, but not on gender.
C) did not include a provision regarding working hours.
D) established a national minimum wage.
E) created an enforcement mechanism to protect unions' right to organize.

Question 55

The industrial codes set up under the National Recovery Administration set floors below which no company could lower prices or wages.

Question 56

New Deal policy toward American Indians, as led by John Collier,

A) continued past government policies.
B) favored Indian assimilation into the larger white culture.
C) was grounded in a commitment to cultural relativism.
D) encouraged Indians to own land as individuals, rather than collectively.
E) led to a considerable decrease in tribal lands.

Question 57

Much of Franklin Roosevelt's early success as president was a result of his personality.

Question 58

One of the major effects the New Deal had on the United States was that it

A) fostered stronger and more varied interest groups.
B) created a unified, government-controlled economy.
C) created a harmonious, ordered economy.
D) created laws that provided equal economic opportunity for all American workers.
E) ended the Depression.

Question 59

The most influential advocate for African Americans in the Roosevelt administration was

A) Frances Perkins.
B) Harold Ickes.
C) Harry Hopkins.
D) Eleanor Roosevelt.
E) Mary McLeod Bethune.

Question 60

Frances Perkins, the first female cabinet member in American history, was secretary of

A) commerce.
B) agriculture.
C) labor.
D) health and human services.
E) education.

Question 61

The sit-down strike was an effective way to prevent companies from using strikebreakers.

Question 62

President Roosevelt had misgivings about establishing a federal "dole" for the jobless.

Question 63

The New Deal had moved far enough to the left by 1935 that the poorest of workers, including domestic servants and agricultural laborers, were covered by the Social Security Act.

Question 64

During his first term, President Roosevelt grew increasingly willing to openly attack corporate interests.

Question 65

New Deal Social Security was primarily designed to provide assistance to those who had earned it, but it also provided considerable direct assistance based on need.

Question 66

In general, the CIO was a more militant labor organization than the AFL.

Question 67

President Roosevelt's 1936 reelection was the greatest landslide victory to that point in the history of American presidential elections.

Question 68

Charles Coughlin quickly moved from supporting to opposing President Roosevelt.

Question 69

The Social Security Act was part of what has been called the Second New Deal.

Question 70

During the 1930s, the smaller steel companies were more willing to accommodate unions than were the large steel companies.

Question 71

Despite the challenge of the CIO, the AFL remained committed to the craft union idea.

Question 72

A series of 1935 Roosevelt proposals for higher tax rates on the wealthy was likely designed to undercut Senator Huey Long's Share-Our-Wealth Plan.

Question 73

The Home Owners Loan Corporation provided funds for refinancing home mortgages.

Question 74

Under the National Industrial Recovery Act, the code writing was to be done by Congress.

Question 75

During his first term, President Roosevelt preferred work relief programs to those that simply provided cash assistance.

Question 76

Roosevelt's "Court-packing plan" called for replacing conservative justices with liberal ones.

Question 77

President Roosevelt was dissatisfied with the National Labor Relations Act, but he did sign it.

Question 78

The Congress of Industrial Organizations was more receptive to women and blacks than the American Federation of Labor had been.

Question 79

The original Social Security Act included a system of unemployment insurance.

Question 80

The principal government aid to women was not work relief, but cash assistance.