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President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Response To The Great Depression

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Rebeccah Cowell Dr. Culbertson His 202-226 03-08-2024 The Critics of the New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs and policies implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression. It aimed to provide relief, recovery, and reform to the American economy and society. The Great Depression was a time of severe economic downturn, with high unemployment rates and widespread poverty. The New Deal was Roosevelt's attempt to address these issues and bring about positive change. The New Deal consisted of various initiatives, which included the creation of government agencies such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which provided jobs for unemployed individuals …show more content…

They believed that this could lead to higher labor costs, reduced flexibility for employers, and hindered economic growth. Some business leaders also expressed concerns that the government's support for unions was driven more by political considerations rather than a genuine desire to improve labor conditions. Supporters of the Wagner Act argue that it was a necessary step to protect workers' rights, improve working conditions, and address the power imbalances between employers and employees. They believe that the Act helped establish a fairer playing field for workers, ensuring their right to organize and bargain collectively. The debate surrounding the government's support for labor unions through the Wagner Act is complex and multifaceted. It involves considerations of power dynamics, economic impacts, and differing philosophical perspectives on the role of government in labor relations.It could be argued that the government's support for labor unions through the Wagner Act aimed to address unfair labor practices, improve working conditions, and provide workers with better rights and protections. It is shown in the book, Out of Many, where it says, “Congress had passed the National Labor Relations Act (also known as the Wagner Act), which made union organizing easier by guaranteeing the right of workers to join unions and bargain collectively” (Faragher et al., 578). This is what I said to be true. Some also argue that the New Deal programs helped stimulate economic recovery and provided relief to millions of Americans during the Great Depression. While the New Deal did have some positive impacts on workers and the economy, critics believed that the government's support for labor unions, particularly through the Wagner Act, went too far. They argued that this support created

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In their opinion, the employees were not employed in interstate commerce, so their wages had nothing to do with it either (Document F). They also thought that the government had no right to give workers the right to self-organize and break the law (Document G). The authority of the federal government expanded, and FDR was, in a sense, abusing the power he had. Roosevelt’s administration increased the role of the federal government in the economy. His New Deal programs were more successful in empowering the government than lightening the effect of the Depression.

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The new deal was a program that created jobs during the Great Depression. The New Deal was a program that created jobs for people during the depression. Some of the programs they made where the CCC, WPA and other programs (Doc B). The New Deal had a positive effect on the people during the great depression because it gave people jobs and a way to make money. The New Deal had employed many people giving them jobs for example, at the beginning of the Great Depression unemployment was at its highest 25% and when the new deal was put into action unemployment

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Industrialization created many labor strikes such as the coal strike in 1902, which was a strike where most of the workers wanted higher wages, less hours, and just better recognition from their union. Roosevelt wanted a more interventionist role for the federal government and this was proved in the coal strike. In the magazine, Smithsonian, it states, “Once settled in his new job, Roosevelt aimed to guarantee that, as America’s prosperity took hold, the laws applied to the country’s elite and its poor alike—to its agitated laborers, and its heralded capitalists. He wanted to assert the primacy of government over business.” (Berfield, 2020)

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While the programs of the First New Deal were left-wing and progressive, some liberals decided that it had not gone far enough to help the common people. When the National Industrial Recovery Act was declared unconstitutional in 1935, employers once again began treating their workers unfairly. Worker strikes were broken up violently, and they could not achieve their rights without government assistance. This problem was combatted with the Wagner Act, which gave workers the right to unionize and negotiate for better wages and working conditions. Additionally, liberals such as physician Francis Townsend and Senator Huey P. Long called for government pensions for the elderly in order to open jobs for the unemployed and simulate the economy.

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In the Taft-Hartley Act, the US Congress demonstrated this by demolishing the rights of worker unions and strikes, giving the employers overwhelming control over the lives of employees. The National Labor Relations Act, or Wagner Act, passed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, previously protected the strikes and collective bargaining of employees and labor unions. However, with the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, labor unions were much weaker than before, and many even branded this act as the “slave-labor act.” “To pass the Taft-hartley Act that lifted many of the protections organized labor had enjoyed since the passage of the Wagner Act in the 1930s” (Fraser 754). With the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, many of the rights that protected the rights of workers to collectively bargain with their employers without any risk of losing their jobs and union strikes, were significantly weakened.

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In 1935, the United States passed the Wagner Act which enables more workers rights and gave the right to join/form unions and participate in collective bargaining. But this was not to be passed before many workers began to form unions and were refused that ability. Many riots and strikes were put into place to try and protect their rights. Some strikes became violent resulting in deaths, while others just created trouble for the workers. These efforts without initial government backing caused many problems but many changes.

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Lewis finds the Wagner Act to be valid, which ended up being FDR's response to the "widespread labor unrest". (Doc G) The Wagner Act was installed to address the concerns of workers over their rights as union members as well as their ability to collectively bargain. The act proved effective as labor unrest began to dwindle. Companies like “General Motors or US Steel” could not have the final say on the treatment of employees.

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President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, a series of economic and social reforms enacted to combat the Great Depression, was met with both support and opposition. While some Americans supported the New Deal as a means of providing relief and recovery, others opposed it for various reasons. Critics of the new deal claimed that it expanded the federal government's role, was harmful to the economy, and was too closely associated with communism. The New Deal, a series of policies implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression, was met with both support and opposition.

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Besides, the unemployment army was enormous, hence if someone complained about the working conditions they would certainly get fired. FDR observed this situation and suggested the National Labor Regulation Act (Wagner Act) to Congress, and they approved it. This act guarantees the workers to organize in unions, have collective bargaining and banned anti-labor actions, like

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The Great Depression, which ravaged the country, was in desperate need of aid. Support and a government-style change came with the 32nd president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt saw the country was in dire need of help, so he introduced his “New Deal” to the country. The New Deal would be a collection of acts and laws to be passed to support the desperate country. The New Deal brought about positive change and helped the country get through its darkest times.

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The Wagner Act –also known as the National Labor Relations Act- was a New Deal reform that was passed by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935. It was a great tool in preventing employers from messing with workers’ unions and protests in the private sector. This act made a foundation for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to protect the rights of workers for them to organize, bargain collectively, and strikes. In 1930, millions of workers belonged to labor unions.

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The Wagner Act of 1935, also known as the National Labor Relations Act, guaranteed workers the right to organize and bargain collectively, strengthening labor unions and giving workers a greater voice in the

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Some people said that the Wagner Act denied their liberty because they were, in some cases, being required to join a union for a job. People were upset that some employers were requiring you to join a union and then have to pay a membership fee. They felt that they were not

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In order to encourage the growth of trade unions he passed this bills that did more than intended. As the book Who built America details,"The Wagner Act guaranteed workers the right to freely organize their own unions and to strike, boycott, and picket their employers(Rosenzweigh 454).This was exactly what all Middle and working class Americans needed to push them over. It had the stern language that the NIRA lacked and the backing of the National Labor Relation board to hear complaints. Because people thought there jobs were safer due to Roosevelt 's policies, they were more willing to join unions, leading to hike in

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In the past, the treatment of workers was unfair and frequently cruel. Labor unions changed that. Pushing for better working environments, union laborers arduously fought for justice in the workplace, resulting in the passing of many laws and Federal acts protecting workers and improving life for the average working man. In an article from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) illustrating the benefits of unions for everyday people, authors Walters and Mishel state: “Unions make a substantial and measurable difference in the implementation of labor laws.” A variety of necessary laws were passed, including child labor laws and acts granting compensation for employees injured in the workplace.

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