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. One of the primary reasons some Americans opposed the New Deal was because they believed it expanded the role of the federal government too much. Document A, an excerpt from President Herbert
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Landon argues that the New Deal's policies had not brought about a full economic recovery and had instead created "uncertainty and fear" among business owners. Some opponents of the New Deal believed that it interfered with free-market principles and stifled economic growth. These opponents believed that the government should not interfere with the natural economic processes and that it should let the market correct itself.
Another reason why some Americans opposed the New Deal was because they believed it was too closely associated with socialism or communism. Document E, an excerpt from Paul W. Ward's news article, highlights this concern. Ward argues that New Deal policies, such as the Works Progress Administration, were "redolent of the Soviet Union" and were part of a broader trend towards socialism. Some opponents of the New Deal saw it as a dangerous step towards government control of the economy and society. This opposition was rooted in the fear of communism, which was prevalent during the 1930s and