Sigma

1932

FDR elected president

March-June 1933

First Hundred Days: Intense legislation (banking, farming, jobs)

1935-1936

Second New Deal: More focus on long-term reform, Social Security

1935

Wagner Act (labor rights) + Social Security Act passed

1937

FDR's Court-packing plan proposed

1938

Third New Deal begins; Fair Labor Standards Act passed

1939

WWII begins in Europe - U.S. economy begins to recover

New Deal

FDR's programs to combat the Great Depression.

Relief

Immediate help (jobs, money)

Recovery

Get economy going again

Reform

Fix the system to prevent another crash.

First Hundred Days

Flood of laws in early 1933 to stabilize banking, jobs, and agriculture.

Second New Deal (1935-36)

Big reforms like Social Security and labor protections.

Third New Deal (1938)

More conservative; emphasized economic stability and regulation.

Court-Packing Plan (1937)

FDR's failed plan to add justices and support New Deal laws.

Keynesian Economics

Belief in government spending to boost demand in economic downturns.

Welfare State

Government responsibility for citizens' well-being (e.g., Social Security).

FDIC

Insured bank deposits

AAA

Paid farmers to reduce crop production

TVA

Built dams, jobs, and electricity in Southeast

CCC

Jobs for young men in conservation

FERA

Gave direct relief to unemployed

NIRA / NRA

Regulated industry & labor (later struck down)

PWA / WPA

Created jobs via public works and arts

Social Security Act

Pensions, unemployment insurance, aid for elderly & disabled

SEC

Regulated stock market

Fair Labor Standards Act

Minimum wage, 40-hour workweek, banned child labor

FDR

The president behind the New Deal.

Fireside Chats

FDR's calming radio addresses to explain policies.

Brain Trust

FDR's group of expert advisors.

John Maynard Keynes

Economist who inspired the idea of deficit spending.

Schechter Poultry Corp. v. U.S. (1935)

Declared NIRA unconstitutional

U.S. v. Butler (1936)

Struck down the AAA

Court-packing plan (1937)

Failed attempt to expand SCOTUS for New Deal support

Increased federal government's role

Increased the federal government's role in the economy.

Lasting programs

Created lasting programs like Social Security.

Inspired later programs

Inspired later programs (like LBJ's Great Society).

Ongoing debate

Sparked ongoing debate over the role of government.

Goals of the New Deal

Relief for the unemployed, recovery of the economy, and reform of the financial system.

First Hundred Days strategy

He rapidly pushed laws to stabilize banks, support farmers, and create jobs.

Significance of the Social Security Act

It introduced long-term support for the elderly, unemployed, and disabled, laying the foundation for the modern welfare state.

Supreme Court opposition

The Court believed certain programs gave too much power to the federal government and violated the Constitution.

Purpose of FDR's court-packing plan

To add justices sympathetic to the New Deal and prevent laws from being struck down.

Influence of the New Deal

It legitimized federal involvement in the economy and inspired future welfare and infrastructure programs.