New Deal Major Legislation (Goes with textbook Chapter 24!)

Emergency Banking Act

(1933) New Deal law passed shortly after Franklin D. Roosevelt took office that allowed the federal government to inspect banks, reopen financially sound ones, and restore public confidence in the banking system.

Economy Act

(1933) Law aimed at reducing federal spending by cutting government salaries and veterans’ benefits as part of early New Deal efforts to balance the budget.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

(1933) New Deal program that employed young men in conservation projects such as planting trees, building parks, and improving natural resources while providing wages during the Great Depression.

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

(1933) New Deal law that paid farmers to reduce crop production in order to raise agricultural prices and stabilize the farm economy.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

(1933) Federal agency created to build dams, generate electricity, control flooding, and promote economic development in the Tennessee Valley region.

National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)

(1933) New Deal law designed to stimulate industrial recovery by allowing industries to create codes regulating wages, hours, and production, and by guaranteeing workers the right to unionize.

Banking Act

(1933) Also known as the Glass-Steagall Act; established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and separated commercial banking from investment banking to stabilize the financial system.

Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA)

(1933) New Deal program that provided direct federal funds to states for unemployment relief and assistance to struggling Americans.

Home Owners Refinancing Act

(1933) Law that created the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation to refinance mortgages and prevent home foreclosures during the Great Depression.

Civil Works Administration (CWA)

(1933) Short-term New Deal agency that created temporary public works jobs during the winter of 1933–1934 to reduce unemployment.

Federal Securities Act

(1933) Law requiring companies issuing new stocks to provide accurate financial information to investors to reduce fraud in the stock market.

National Housing Act

(1934) Law that created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to insure mortgages and stimulate the housing market.

Securities & Exchange Act

(1934) Law establishing the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to regulate the stock market and protect investors.

Home Owners Loan Act

(1933) Law establishing the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation to refinance mortgages and help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

(1935) Major New Deal agency that created millions of jobs building infrastructure and funding cultural programs such as art, theater, and writing projects.

National Youth Administration (NYA)

(1935) New Deal program providing part-time jobs and training for young Americans to support education and employment during the Depression.

Social Security Act

(1935) Landmark law establishing a national system of old-age pensions, unemployment insurance, and assistance for vulnerable groups.

National Labor Relations Act

(1935) Also known as the Wagner Act; guaranteed workers the right to form unions and bargain collectively, and created the National Labor Relations Board.

Public Utilities Holding Company Act

(1935) Law regulating electric utility holding companies and breaking up large monopolistic utility corporations.

Resettlement Administration

(1935) New Deal agency that relocated struggling rural families and built planned communities to improve living conditions.

Rural Electrification Administration

(1935) Program that provided loans to bring electricity to rural areas, dramatically improving quality of life and agricultural productivity.

Revenue Act ("Wealth Tax")

(1935) Law increasing taxes on high incomes and large corporate profits in an effort to reduce economic inequality.

Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act

(1936) Law encouraging farmers to adopt soil conservation practices and reduce crop production after the original AAA was declared unconstitutional.

Farm Security Administration

(1937) Agency that provided loans and assistance to poor farmers and migrant workers, and documented rural poverty through photography.

National Housing Act

(1937) Law expanding federal housing programs and establishing the United States Housing Authority to support public housing projects.

Second Agricultural Adjustment Act

(1938) Revised farm legislation that reinstated price supports and production controls to stabilize agricultural markets.

Fair Labor Standards Act

(1938) Law establishing a federal minimum wage, maximum working hours, and restrictions on child labor.

Executive Reorganization Act

(1939) Law that reorganized the executive branch and increased presidential administrative power by creating the Executive Office of the President.