1. 23.2 New Deal Critics

2. Limitations of the New Deal ► Fair Labor Standards Act only set minimum wage at $.25/hr. ► Less helpful to women and minorities. ► Lower wages for women were permitted and men were often preferred for jobs.

3. ► African Americans were not usually offered jobs at the professional level. ► They were kept out of skilled jobs and received lower pay than whites. ► Early Depression saw an increase in lynching. ► FDR did appoint a lot of African Americans to policy making posts.

4. Political Critics ► The Second New Deal saw an increase of taxes on the rich. ► Revenue Act (Wealth Tax Act) raised tax rate on individuals with income over $50,000. ► Alfred Smith led the American Liberty League in opposition to the New Deal.

5. ► Others claimed the New Deal did not do enough to eliminate poverty. ► Wisconsin Progressive claimed the New Deal did not “spread the wealth around enough.”

6. Other Critics ► Father Coughlin-Radio Priest- weekly audience of over 10 mill people. ► Popular at first but lost credibility due to his shaky standings-first support New Deal then not etc.. ► Became anti-Jewish, praised Hitler

7. ► Huey Long ► Long wanted a complete redistribution of wealth in the country. ► Limit income to $1mill. ► He helped pressure FDR to levy more taxes on wealthy. ► Executed by political rival in 1935.

8. Modern Day Critics ► Some say New Deal threatened American free enterprise. ► People opposed the idea of deficit spending. ► People believed New Deal violated free-market system. ► You decide.

9. FDR and Court Packing ► Constitution makes no provision for amount of Supreme Court justices. ► Traditionally nine. ► FDR want to add at least 6 more. ► To ease the case load burden of the aging judges or so he said.

10. ► FDR really wanted more judges in there that would side with his way of thinking. ► Get more legislation passed through easier. ► Too much opposition forced to withdraw his bill.