New Deal Programs

What is the New Deal Series of Government Reforms and Assistance programs/jobs to help the United States get out of the Great Depression. Many of these programs included creating jobs for Americans and coming up with ways to improve banking and insure its competence.

Agriculture Adjustment Act (AAA) Raised crop prices by lowering production Federal Gov’t paid farmers to leave a certain amount of every acre of land unseeded In many cases, crops were to far advance for the acreage reduction to work. Gov’t paid cotton growers $200 million to plow 10 million acres of land It also paid pig farmers to slaughter 6 million pigs Pros – it did help raise prices Cons – people were angry about this because it was wasting valuable food in a time when many were starving

Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act Passed in response to the AAA being unconstitutional Tried to ‘conserve soil’ and lesson erosion Protected tenant farmers (unlike the AAA) Landlords were now required to share the money they received from the federal government with those that worked the land It educated farmers on proper plowing techniques and helped to educate them in proper use of land in their area Act also dealt with assisting victims of the dust bowl

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) – During this time it put almost 3 million men to work Put Young men (ages 18-25) to work building roads, developing parks, planting trees, and helping in the soil- erosion and flood-control projects. Men lived in work camps and were paid $30/month 0 $25 of which automatically went to their families Work camps supplied food, lodging and work clothing to the men. Planted over 200 million trees to help reforest the U.S. – aim was to prevent another dust bowl

Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) Helped states to provide aid for the unemployed in their state Originally set up by Hoover in 1932 and was called the Emergency Relief Administration FERA's main goal was alleviating household unemployment by creating new unskilled jobs in local and state government. Jobs were more expensive than direct cash payments but were more beneficial to the unemployed. Created work education programs

Public Works Administration (PWA) Created Jobs on Gov’t projects (construction) It built large-scale public works such as dams, bridges, hospitals, and schools. Its goals were to spend $3.3 billion in the first year, and $6 billion in all, to provide employment and help revive the economy Streets and highways were the most common PWA projects Attempted to build low cost homes for people (this part of the project was a failure)

National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) Provided money to states to create jobs in the construction of schools and other community buildings. It established PWA The Act had two main sections Title I was devoted to industrial recovery Title II established the PWA, outlined the projects and funding opportunities it could engage in, and funded the Act. Failed to make a significant dent in the unemployment problem

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) a federally owned corporation created in 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing and economic development in the Tennessee Valley Harnessed water power to generate electricity and help present floods in the Tennessee Valley Added to the National Park system and established wildlife refuges Still around today

Works Progress Administration (WPA) Wanted to create as many jobs as possible as quickly as possible Spent $11 billion to give jobs to more than 8 million workers Built 850 airports, constructed or repaired 651,000 miles of roads, put up more than 125,000 buildings Women workers in sewing groups made 300 million garments It also employed professionals who wrote guides to cities, collected historical narratives, painted murals and performed in theater troupes. It made special efforts to help women, minorities, and young people.

National Youth Administration (NYA) Provided education, jobs, counseling and recreation for young people. It provided student aid to high school, college and grad students – in exchange students worked in part time positions at their schools For graduates unable to find jobs, or youth who had dropped out of school it provided part-time jobs such as working on highways, parks and the grounds of public buildings.

Social Security Act (SSA) 1935 – present 3 major parts Old age insurance for retirees 65 or older & their spouse Unemployment compensation system Aid to families with dependent children and the disabled

Rural Electrification Administration (REA) The REA undertook to provide farms with inexpensive electric lighting and power Helped install and update telephones in rural areas Many groups opposed the federal government's involvement in developing and distributing electric power, especially utility companies, who believed that the government was unfairly competing with private enterprise Part of the Department of Agriculture