APUSH Great Depression Key Terms

Chapter 24: Redefining Liberalism

“Social Welfare” Liberalism Social liberalism is a political position that supports heavier regulation of the economy and more welfare than other types of liberalism, particularly classical liberalism. Moreover, social liberals consider the accumulation of wealth and power by a small group as a threat to liberty.

Deficit Spending When the spending of a government is greater than its tax revenues. It causes the government to borrow from the “world market” increasing further debt and interest accumulated on that debt.

Keynesian Economics Keynesian economics argues that people make bad economic decisions and therefore the government should act by changing policies to stabilize the output over the business cycle.

Cultural Pluralism Cultural pluralism is a term used when small groups within a larger society maintain their unique cultural identities.

“The Hundred Days” (1933) The Hundred Days refer to most president’s first hundred days in office but mostly to FDR’s first 100 days in the White House where he and Congress passed numerous bills as part of his New Deal.

Tennessee Valley Authority (1933) The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was created by congressional charter in May 1933. It was one of the Alphabet Agencies and was and still is a government owned electric power provider.

Alphabet Agencies (1933) The numerous agencies crated by FDR and his New Deal. Some of the more important ones include the AAA (agriculture), CCC (conservation Corps), FDIC (deposit insurance), NRA (recovery), & WPA (works)

Schechter v. U.S. (1935) A Supreme Court decision that invalidated and declared unconstitutional regulations of the poultry industry by the National Industrial Recover Act of 1933.

Liberty League (est. 1934) A U.S. organization formed in 1934 by conservative Democrats to “defend and uphold the constitution.” The League was critical of Roosevelt, the AAA and Social Security and supported the Republicans in 1936.

Father Charles Coughlin (1891-1979) Aka Radio Priest, he used his radio program to initially promote FDR and the New Deal and later against him as he founded the National Union for Social Justice (1934). He found Roosevelt’s New Deal to be unconstitutional and proposed eliminating the Federal Reserve.

Huey Long (1893-1935) Governor of LA from 1932 to 1935. He created his program of “Share Our Wealth” in 1934 and advocated wealth distribution and was critical of the Federal Reserve. He was assassinated in 1935.

Francis Townsend (1867-1960) An American doctor known for his revolving pension plan during the Great Depression (aka Townsend Plan). His proposal influenced the establishment of the Social Security system in 1935.

Second New Deal (1935-1938) Unlike the First, which aimed at short-term relief, the Second New Deal supported labor unions, the WPA relief program, and Social Security. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was the last major program of this era.

Judiciary Reorganization Bill (1937) Aka Court-packing plan. It was a legislative imitative proposed by FDR that would grant the President to appoint an additional justice to the Supreme Court for every sitting member over the age of 70 (up to 6 extra).

Works Progress Adm. (1935) Headed by Harry Hopkins, it was the largest New Deal agency, employing millions of people from all over the country. It was an extension of the Reconstruction Finance Corp (RFC) and cost nearly $7 billion.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) Eleanor Roosevelt was the first First Lady to hold weekly press conferences. She frequently made personal appearances at labor meetings to reassure workers and also championed civil rights during FDR’s term.

Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 Aka Indian New Deal. The most significant initiative of Bureau of Indian Affairs Commissioner John Collier Sr., it reversed the Dawes Act’s privatization of common holdings and marked a return to the tribal government.

Dust Bow (1930-1936) A period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage that resulted from drought coupled by bad farming techniques. As a result, many farmers were displaced.

“Okies” A term referring to the migrants that left the South and Midwest due to the Dust Bowl and the AAA to work on farms on the West Coast, particularly California.

New Deal Coalition The New Deal coalition supported the New Deal and voted for Democratic presidential candidates from 1932 until approximately 1968.

Good Neighbor Policy FDR’s foreign policy toward Latin America. The United States renounced military intervention and instead relied on other methods to maintain its influence there: Pan-Americanism, loans and political subversion.

Munich Conference Aka Munich Agreement. Signed on September 3, 1938 by Germany, France, Britain, and Italy, it permitted Germany to annex Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland.

Neutrality Act of 1935 This act imposed a general embargo on trading in arms and war materials to all parties in a war. It also declared that all travelers on warring ships did so at their own risk. Finally, it was set to expire after six months.

“cash and carry” (1936) A policy that replaced the Neutrality Acts of 1936. It allowed the sale of material to belligerents so long as they paid in full using cash and provided transportation. It was designed to keep the US neutral.

Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940) PM of the UK from 1937-1950. He was known for his involvement in the Munich Conference and his “containment” policy of Germany in 1939 that led to the declaration of war on Germany in September 1939.