Public Policy in the New Deal

In this forum, you will have an opportunity to investigate a variety of New Deal legislation that changed the economic situation of average Americans and the operation of the economy itself. As a result, income inequality declined markedly in the 1930s and federal government assumed a new role of preventing or alleviating economic depression. This is an example of public policy in action.

Below is a list of laws or policy initiatives from the 1930s. Each student should use the web to learn about one law and its implementation, and then summarize what it was and what its impact was by Thursday of this week. Please use your own words in the summary – do not just cut and paste from the web. Put the name of the policy first in your post so others can see what you are writing about. Note: Some laws/agencies have been grouped together for logical reasons even though they were enacted sequentially.

However, there is a catch — no student should repeat what someone else has already done. Those who post first, get first choice. Others will have to go back to the web and investigate something else. There is a real advantage to posting early.

By Sunday, all students should comment on the posts of others –– at least three times. This can be done either before or after Thurs.

Q1: Was there an important additional element of the policy that was not discussed in the first post? (Everyone should do this for at least one post on a topic that was not their original one).

Q2. Was the post correct on how the federal initiative helped improve the economy or help average Americans? Were there additional ways or alternative ways that the federal initiative helped working Americans. (Everyone should write on this topic for at least one post)

Q3. You also may ask questions and answer ones asked of you. Or you may post additional times on Q1 and Q3.

Occasionally students start to research and write on a topic but find that another student has already posted on it. If that happens, realize you have great material for the second half of the forum (Q1) and then go back and write on a different topic for your first post.

New Deal Laws and Public Policies:

National Industrial Recovery Act and the National Recovery Administration (NRA)

Securities Act of 1933 and the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission)

Works Progress Administration (later renamed Works Project Administration)

Wagner Act, aka National Labor Relations Act

Fair Labor Standards Act

Social Security Act

Glass-Steagall Act

Suspension of the Gold Standard and then the Gold Reserve Act

Tennessee Valley Administration

Civilian Conservation Corp.

Agricultural Adjustment Act (1933 and 1938)

National Youth Administration