1. FDR, the Second new deal, and the supreme court.

2. The Second New Deal
FDR enjoyed immense approval for his early efforts at combating the Great Depression.
The midterm election of saw Democrats gain seats in both houses, validating FDR’s efforts
In 1935 he launched the Second New Deal.

3. Emergency Relief
Emergency relief of the Second New Deal focused on providing jobs.
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was the largest peacetime jobs program in U.S. history and ultimately employed 8.5 million American workers.
WPA workers worked a wide variety of jobs, some were even artists, including Jackson Pollock.

4. WPA Murals

5. Reform Efforts
An important reform la of the Second New Deal is the Social Security Act.
This program provided a pension, or regular check, to workers to old to work any longer. (Initially 65)
It also provided a type of unemployment benefit to ease the struggle of finding a new job.
Ida May Fuller, the first recipient of a Social Security pension check

6. FDR and Organized Labor
With the passage of the Wagner Act/National Labor Relations Act Organized labor gets a much needed boost.
This act forces a business to recognize unions that the workers have voted to represent them.
The Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO) led by John L. Lewis, broke away from the AFL to focus on factory/industrial workers.
They won a major sit-down strike victory against GM that gave organized labor hope.

7. The Election of 1936
FDR’s re-election campaign emphasized his record of legislative achievement.
While still high, unemployment had been cut in half and personal and corporate incomes were on the rise.
The election was a huge success for democrats and marked a huge shift in American politics
African Americans in the north switched for the party of Lincoln to the Democrats.

8. The Election of 1936

9. The Supreme Court
Since the beginning of the New Deal FDR was at odds with the Supreme Court.
Republicans’ long control of the White House had allowed the formation of a very conservative court.
The quite often struck debilitating blows to New Deal programs on the basis of unconstitutionality.

10. “Court-Packing”
In 1937 FDR was determined to do something about the Supreme Court
He attempted to pass legislation that would allow him to appoint up to six more justices of the Supreme Court.
This attempt was unsuccessful and served to put a tarnish on his presidency.
It was seen as executive over reach and an attempt to unbalance the frame of the Constitution.

11. Recovery? In the fall of ‘37 the US economy experienced a slide.
A drop in the stock market was followed by a rise in unemployment.
FDR continued deficit spending in hopes of stimulating the economy
This type of spending is backed by Keynesian Economics
While the economy did bounce back some in the summer of ‘38 the good vibes associated with the New Deal were beginning to fade
John Maynard Keynes, British economist, said that deficit government spending could stimulate the economy by providing jobs. He felt that a balanced budget is not prudent when an economic crisis exists.