Exam Tips for New Deal Success and Failure
Part of New Deal Success or Failure — GCSE History
This exam tips covers Exam Tips for New Deal Success and Failure 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 10 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 10 of 11
Practice
10 questions
Recall
4 flashcards
💡 Exam Tips for New Deal Success and Failure
🎯 Question Types for This Topic:
- Describe two features (4 marks, ~8 minutes) — Pick one success (Relief or Reform) and one limitation. This shows breadth of knowledge immediately.
- Explain why the New Deal did not end the Depression (8 marks, ~15 minutes) — Two developed reasons: (1) Roosevelt Recession proves spending cuts reversed progress; (2) scale of Depression too great for peacetime spending. Each needs specific evidence and explanation of the mechanism.
- How far do you agree that the New Deal was a success? (12+4 SPaG, ~25 minutes) — Use the Three Rs framework. Judge each separately, then give an overall verdict that identifies which R was most successful and why.
📈 How to Move Up Levels — This Topic Specifically:
- Level 1: "The New Deal was successful because it helped many people. It was also a failure because it didn't end the Depression." — Both claims unsupported.
- Level 2: "The New Deal was successful because the WPA employed 8 million people. It failed because unemployment was still 14% in 1937." — Good: specific evidence on both sides. But no explanation of WHY or significance.
- Level 3: "The New Deal succeeded at Relief but failed at Recovery. The WPA employed 8 million people on infrastructure projects, directly supporting millions of families during the worst years of the Depression. However, by 1937 — after four years of New Deal programmes — unemployment was still 14%. When FDR cut spending that year, unemployment shot back up to 19%, showing that the New Deal had been sustaining demand artificially rather than creating genuine economic recovery." — Two aspects, specific evidence for both, explanation of mechanism.
- Level 4: Add the Reform dimension and a complex judgement: "Yet the New Deal's most lasting impact was in Reform, not Relief or Recovery. The Social Security Act (1935) created pensions and unemployment insurance that still exist today. The Wagner Act tripled union membership. Glass-Steagall banking regulations prevented another crash for 66 years. On balance, the New Deal was a genuine success — but for different reasons than FDR intended. He promised to end the Depression; he failed. But in trying, he permanently transformed the relationship between government and citizens, and that transformation outlasted the Depression itself."
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Saying the New Deal ended the Depression. It did not. Unemployment was 14% in 1937 and 19% after the Roosevelt Recession. Only WW2 production ended it. Always state this clearly.
- Ignoring who was excluded. Any essay that doesn't mention Black Americans, sharecroppers, or the Social Security exclusions will be capped below the highest levels.
- Not using the Three Rs framework. This framework structures your judgement perfectly — most students who struggle with the success/failure essay are those who haven't been taught this structure.
- Treating 1937 as a minor detail. The Roosevelt Recession is crucial evidence. It proves that: (a) the New Deal was working — spending was sustaining demand; and (b) it wasn't working — cutting spending reversed all progress. It's the key piece of evidence for any balanced judgement.
- Forgetting SPaG in the 12+4 essay. Four marks are available for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Spell key terms correctly: New Deal, Civilian Conservation Corps, Social Security Act, Wagner Act, laissez-faire.
Quick Check: What was the "Roosevelt Recession" of 1937, and what does it prove about the New Deal?
The Roosevelt Recession occurred when FDR cut New Deal spending in 1937, trying to balance the federal budget. Unemployment jumped from 14% back up to 19% within months. It proves two things: (1) the New Deal spending had been working — it was artificially sustaining demand and employment; and (2) the economy had not genuinely recovered and could not support itself without government spending. It was the most serious self-inflicted setback of the New Deal era and set back recovery by approximately two years.
Quick Check: Using the Three Rs, give one success and one failure of the New Deal for each category.
RELIEF — Success: CCC employed 2.5 million young men; WPA employed 8 million — millions prevented from starvation. RELIEF — Limitation: Black Americans, women, and sharecroppers were excluded from or disadvantaged by many programmes. RECOVERY — Success: Unemployment fell from 25% (1933) to 14% (1937). RECOVERY — Failure: Still 14% after four years; Roosevelt Recession pushed it back to 19%; only WW2 ended the Depression (1.2% by 1944). REFORM — Success: Social Security Act (1935) still exists today; Glass-Steagall prevented banking crashes for 66 years; Wagner Act tripled union membership. REFORM — Limitation: Social Security excluded domestic servants and farm workers — 65% of Black American workers left unprotected.