poeple great depression

Harding

supported pro business policies; favored limited government; oversaw corruption scandals that weakened trust and regulation

Coolidge

promoted laissez faire economics; believed national prosperity depended on business success; kept government out of markets

Hoover

supported rugged individualism; resisted direct federal relief during early collapse; response was seen as too limited

FDR

created the New Deal; used aggressive federal action to stabilize banks and provide relief; restored national confidence

Bethune

advocated for Black access to New Deal programs; advised administration on racial equality and education issues

Long

criticized New Deal for not going far enough; promoted Share Our Wealth to redistribute wealth and end poverty

Townsend

argued elderly Americans lacked support; proposed pension plan; pressure contributed to creation of Social Security

Coughlin

radio figure who said New Deal failed to control banks strongly enough; wanted monetary reform and nationalized banking

Sinclair

left wing critic who argued New Deal preserved capitalism; wanted deeper reforms including public ownership of industry

Smith

right wing critic who claimed New Deal expanded federal power too much; believed policies betrayed traditional limited government values

ALL

conservative group arguing New Deal threatened individual freedom; opposed federal involvement in economy; feared socialism

Southern Democrats

resisted racial equality and strong labor protections; supported some New Deal programs but opposed reforms empowering Black workers or unions

Hopkins

major administrator who ran relief programs including WPA; believed in fast and direct federal aid to reduce unemployment

Perkins

architect of Social Security and labor protections; pushed for minimum wage and workplace safety reforms; key New Deal policymaker