America 1920-1973Topic Summary
Topic Summary: Opposition to the New Deal
Part of Opposition to the New Deal — GCSE History
This topic summary covers Topic Summary: Opposition to the New Deal within Opposition to the New Deal for GCSE History. Revise Opposition to the New Deal 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 12 of 12 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 12 of 12
Practice
10 questions
Recall
4 flashcards
Topic Summary: Opposition to the New Deal
Key Terms
- Share Our Wealth: Huey Long's scheme — cap fortunes at $5m, guarantee $2,000/yr minimum income
- American Liberty League: Business-funded organisation opposing New Deal as "socialism"
- Court packing plan: FDR's failed 1937 attempt to add 6 new Supreme Court justices
- Townsend Plan: $200/month pension for over-60s — pressured FDR into Social Security Act
- Unconstitutional: When a law is judged to violate the US Constitution — NRA (1935) and AAA (1936) were both struck down
Key Dates
- 1934: American Liberty League founded; Father Coughlin turns against FDR
- 1935: NRA declared unconstitutional; Huey Long assassinated (September)
- 1936: AAA declared unconstitutional; FDR re-elected with 61% of vote
- 1937: Court packing plan fails in Congress; Roosevelt Recession begins
Key People
- Huey Long: Louisiana senator; "Share Our Wealth"; 7.5m supporters; assassinated 1935
- Father Coughlin: Radio priest; 30m listeners; turned against FDR 1934; claimed New Deal helped bankers
- Dr Francis Townsend: Proposed $200/month pension for over-60s; 5m supporters; influenced Social Security Act
- Republicans/Liberty League: Right-wing opposition — "too much government," "socialism"
Must-Know Facts
- Opposition came from BOTH left (Long, Coughlin) AND right (Republicans, Supreme Court)
- Long had 7.5 million "Share Our Wealth" club members by 1935
- Coughlin had 30 million weekly radio listeners
- NRA struck down 1935; AAA struck down 1936
- Court packing plan failed in Congress 1937
- FDR still won 1936 election with 61% of the vote despite all opposition
- Long's pressure helped produce the more radical Social Security Act (1935)
Cross-Topic Links
- → Topic 12 (New Deal): You can only evaluate the opposition if you understand what was being opposed — right-wing critics targeted the AAA and NRA specifically, while left-wing critics focused on what the alphabet agencies failed to deliver for the poorest Americans.
- → Topic 14 (New Deal Success): Opposition is a major factor in evaluating the New Deal's success — Supreme Court rulings striking down the NRA (1935) and AAA (1936) forced FDR to redesign his approach, and the "Roosevelt Recession" (1937-38) showed the risks of cutting spending.
- → Topic 11 (FDR Election): The same ideological divide that made Hoover unpopular (rugged individualism vs. government help) continued in the New Deal debate — Republicans opposing the New Deal were defending the same philosophy Hoover had followed to catastrophic electoral defeat.
- → Topic 3 (America in 1920): Huey Long's "Share Our Wealth" movement drew support from the rural poor who had always been excluded from prosperity — the Depression revealed how much resentment had built up in communities left behind by 1920s laissez-faire policies.
- → Topic 16 (Segregation): Black Americans and civil rights leaders were among those who criticised the New Deal for perpetuating racial inequality — FDR's refusal to challenge Jim Crow laws to retain Southern Democratic support shows how political calculations limited progressive change.