This exam focus covers Exam Connection within New Deal Success or Failure for GCSE History. Revise New Deal Success or Failure in America 1920-1973 for GCSE History with 10 exam-style questions and 4 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 9 of 11 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
Topic position
Section 9 of 11
Practice
10 questions
Recall
4 flashcards
🎯 Exam Connection
Frequency: Evaluating the New Deal's success appeared in 4 out of 5 recent AQA sittings (HIGH). This is one of the most commonly examined judgement questions in the America unit.
Typical questions you will face:
- "Describe two features of the New Deal's successes" (4 marks, AO1) — Two specific successes with evidence. "The WPA employed 8 million people building roads, bridges, and schools" is a solid Level 2 feature.
- "Explain why the New Deal failed to end the Great Depression" (8 marks, AO1+AO2) — Level 3 requires explaining the mechanism: "FDR cut government spending in 1937, believing the economy had recovered enough to balance the budget. This caused unemployment to rise from 14% back to 19% — the Roosevelt Recession. This proves that the New Deal had been sustaining the economy rather than curing it, and that government spending was the mechanism keeping demand alive. Without it, recovery immediately stalled."
- "How far do you agree that the New Deal was a success?" (12+4 SPaG marks) — The classic New Deal essay. Structure: argue FOR (CCC, WPA, Social Security, restored confidence), argue AGAINST (didn't end Depression, excluded Black Americans, Roosevelt Recession), then make a three-part judgement using the Three Rs framework.
What examiners want for Level 4: A complex argument that shows WHY different assessments are valid depending on the criteria used. "The New Deal's success depends entirely on what you measure. Judged by Relief, it succeeded — millions were helped and nobody starved. Judged by Recovery, it failed — unemployment was still 14% in 1937 and only WW2 ended the Depression. Judged by Reform, it was its greatest achievement — the Social Security Act and Wagner Act permanently changed the relationship between government and citizens, and those institutions still exist today. On balance, Reform was the New Deal's most important and lasting contribution, even though Recovery was what FDR primarily promised in 1932."