Second New Deal

(noun)

The second stage of Franklin Delano's Roosevelt's response to the Great Depression. While the programs and reforms introduced in this stage continued the efforts of the first stage of FDR's agenda, they were envisioned as more long-term solutions with profound consequences on the U.S. economy. 

Related Terms

Examples of Second New Deal in the following topics:

  • The New Deal

    • Before the New Deal, deposits at banks were not insured against loss.
    • Many historians distinguish between a First New Deal (1933–34) and a Second New Deal (1935–38).
    • The Second New Deal was begun in the spring of 1935 .
    • The New Deal produced a political realignment.
    • Analyze the programs that comprised the first and second New Deals, and the effects they had on American political life.

  • The Second New Deal

    • In 1935, the Roosevelt administration unveiled legislation that would be known as the Second New Deal.
    • This "Second New Deal" was noted to be more liberal and more controversial than the "First New Deal" of 1933–34.
    • The work programs of the "First New Deal" were solely meant as immediate relief, destined to run less than a decade.
    • The Second New Deal also addressed housing.
    • The United States Housing Authority was one of the last New Deal agencies.

  • Legislative Achievements of the Second New Deal

    • The two major legislative achievements of the Second New Deal were the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the Social Security Act.
    • The National Labor Relations Act, NLRA, or Wagner Act, is a 1935 United States federal law that was one of the main achievements of the Second New Deal.
    • The Social Security Act, enacted August 14, 1935, was another significant achievement of the New Deal.
    • Beginning with a set of decisions in March, April, and May, 1937, however, the Court would sustain a series of New Deal legislation.
    • Identify at least two legislative achievements under the Second New Deal

  • Launching the New Deal

    • Some of the most important programs and reforms of the First New Deal were:
    • Public work projects were an essential component of the job creation program under the New Deal.
    • While the Second New Deal was a continuation of the First New Deal, reforms and programs labeled as the Second New Deal were less a result of the earlier sense of emergency and more a reflection of bolder attitudes.  
    • The New Deal was always about fixing capitalism rather than replacing it with a state-regulated economy.
    • The most important programs of the second stage of the New Deal were:

  • The Great Depression and the New Deal

    • The New Deal was a series of economic programs enacted in the United States between 1933 and 1936.
    • Many historians distinguish a "First New Deal" (1933–34) and a "Second New Deal" (1935–38), with the second one being more liberal and more controversial.
    • The "Second New Deal" in 1935–38 included the Wagner Act to promote labor unions, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) relief program, the Social Security Act, and new programs to aid tenant farmers and migrant workers.
    • Eisenhower (1953–61) left the New Deal largely intact, even expanding it in some areas.
    • The New Deal regulation of banking (Glass–Steagall Act) was suspended in the 1990s.

  • The Last of the New Deal Reforms

    • Historians continue to debate when the New Deal ended.
    • Although traditionally the New Deal is divided into two stages (First New Deal, 1933-34/5 and Second New Deal 1935-38), some historians refer to the final phase of the New Deal as the Third New Deal.
    • The Third New Deal usually refers to the period around and following the Recession of 1937-38 with some pointing to the the 1939 Reorganization Act (which allowed the President to reorganize the executive branch) as the end of the final phase of the New Deal.  
    • Despite the continuous economic crisis and hardships, the New Deal was largely over by 1939, where this family was seeking New Deal benefits.
    • Examine the last New Deal programs pushed through by the Roosevelt administration

  • Roosevelt's Second Term

    • During Roosevelt's second term, he faced major political opposition from both Republicans and anti-New Deal Democrats.
    • Determined to overcome the opposition of conservative Democrats in Congress, Roosevelt involved himself in the 1938 Democratic primaries, actively campaigning for challengers who were more supportive of New Deal reform.
    • Losses were concentrated among pro-New Deal Democrats.
    • The minimum wage law of 1938 was the last substantial New Deal reform act passed by Congress.
    • Discuss the limits on Roosevelt's New Deal efforts during his second term

  • Challenges to the New Deal

    • However, the Second Deal (1934/5-1938) provoked much more fervent criticism, particularly in conservative circles.
    • The American Liberty League was a non-partisan organization formed in 1934 in opposition to the New Deal.
    • The court-packing plan strengthened conservative opposition to the New Deal.
    • The Coalition's members did not form a solid anti-New Deal legislation voting bloc.
    • The results of the 1938 midterm election demonstrated that the dissatisfaction with New Deal policies grew.

  • The Roosevelt Administration

    • Second, together with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin, he led the victorious Allied forces during World War II.
    • FDR's New Deal redefined the role of the federal government in the United States.
    • The New Deal was the first large-scale practical application of the idea that the central government could significantly intervene in the economy.
    • Many New Deal reforms were no longer necessary.
    • Not until the end of the 1960s did the New Deal coalition begin to fall apart.

  • Conclusion: The Legacy of the New Deal