new deal alphabet soup

(FERA)

• Federal Emergency Relief Administration

• Operation: May 1933 – December 1935 (replaced by Works Progress Administration)

• Category: Relief

• Purpose: Provided direct relief to the unemployed by funding state and local relief efforts. It distributed $3 billion to states to fund work projects and cash grants for struggling families.

  • Positives: Immediate aid to millions of families; set precedent for federal welfare programs.

  • Negatives: Critics argued it fostered dependency on government aid.

(CWA)

• Civil Works Administration

• Operation: November 1933 – March 1934

• Category: Relief

• Purpose: Temporary employment during the winter of 1933-1934; provided jobs on public works projects like roads, schools, and parks.

• paid higher wages than farmers, attracted labourers, got around 4 million people their payroll as soon as possible

• Ended quickly due to high costs.

• accused and charged for corruption, alleged fraud, and malfeasance

(TVA)

• Tennessee Valley Authority

• Operation: Established May 1933 – Still active

• Category: Recovery

• Positives: Built dams to control flooding, provides electricity in rural areas & replanting forests (McGraw-Hill)

• Negatives: Homes & towns displaced to make room for dams, fish migrations (McGraw-Hill)

Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC)

• Operation: June 1933 – 1954

• Category: Recovery

• Purpose: Refinanced home mortgages to prevent foreclosures.

• helped over 1 million families keep their homes.

• refunded the overdue mortgages of more than 1 million families with long-term loans at lower interest rates

• Accused of promoting discriminatory practices (redlining).

(CCC)

• Civilian Conservation Corps

• Operation: April 1933 – 1942

• Category: Relief

• Purpose: Provided jobs for young men on conservation projects, such as planting trees, building parks, and improving rural infrastructure.

• I Employed 3 million men, improved natural resources.

Public Works Administration (PWA)

• Operation: 1933 – 1944

• Category: Recovery

• Purpose: Funded large-scale public works projects like bridges, dams, schools, and hospitals to stimulate the economy.

• Impact:

  • Positives: Created jobs and lasting infrastructure.

  • Negatives: Slow implementation, criticized for inefficiency.

National Recovery Administration (NRA)

• Operation: June 1933 – May 1935 (declared unconstitutional)

• Category: Recovery

• Purpose: Regulated industry standards for wages, hours, and prices to combat economic deflation.

• Positives: Boosted worker rights and stabilized industries.

• Negatives: Declared unconstitutional due to overreach of federal power.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

• Operation: Established 1933 – Still active

• Category: Reform

• Purpose: Insured bank deposits to restore public confidence in the banking system.

• Impact:

  • Positives: Prevented bank runs, stabilized the financial system.

  • Negatives: None significant.

Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA)

• Operation: 1933 – 1936 (revised after Supreme Court ruling)

• Category: Reform & relief

• Purpose: Paid farmers to reduce crop production to stabilize prices and reduce surpluses.

• Displaced tenant farmers and sharecroppers; criticized for wasteful destruction of crops.

Federal Housing Administration (FHA)

• Operation: Established 1934 – Still active

• Category: Reform

• Purpose:  aimed to make homeownership more accessible by insuring mortgages, offering longer loan terms, and improving housing construction quality.

• revitalized the housing market, increased homeownership, created jobs, and strengthened the middle class

• encouraged suburban sprawl, neglected the needs of low-income individuals, and excluded minority communities through discriminatory practices like redlining

(SEC)

• Securities and Exchange Commission

• Operation: Established 1934 – Still active

• Category: Reform

• Purpose: Regulated the stock market to prevent excessive speculation & practices that led to the stock market crash of 1929

• regulated financial markets, enforcing transparency, and protecting investors

• imposed strict regulations that could be challenging for businesses (Britannica).

(WPA)

• Works Progress Administration (Work Projects Administration)

• Operation: 1935 – 1943

• Category: Reform & Relief

• Purpose: Provided jobs in construction, arts, and public service. Employed 8.5 million people.

• funded artists and musicians in a program under WPA called Federal Project Number One

• Impact:

  • Positives: Massive job creation, supported cultural projects.

  • Negatives: Criticized for inefficiency and perceived waste.

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

• Operation: Established 1935 – Still active

• Category: Reform

• Purpose: Enforced labor laws and protected workers' rights to unionize.

• Impact:

  • Positives: Strengthened labor unions and collective bargaining.

  • Negatives: Opposed by business interests.

(NYA)

• National Youth Administration

• Operation: 1935 – 1943

• Category: Relief

• Purpose: Provided work and education opportunities for young people aged 16-25.

• helped over 4.5 million American youths find jobs, receive vocational training, and afford higher standards of education

(REA)

• Rural Electrification Administration

• Operation: Established 1935 – Became Rural Utilities Service in 1994

• Category: Reform

• Purpose: Expanded access to electricity in rural areas.

• Improved quality of life and agricultural productivity.

• continues to work under the department of agriculture (USDA)

Social Security Act (SSA)

• Operation: Established 1935 – Still active

• Category: Reform

• Purpose: Created a safety net through pensions for the elderly, unemployment insurance, and disability benefits.

• Reduced poverty among seniors, long-lasting impact on social welfare.

• Criticized for initial exclusions (e.g., domestic and agricultural workers).