The Left's Opposition to the New Deal: A Critical Analysis
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‘The most significant opposition to the New Deal came from those on the left of politics.
ESSAY
While left-wing opposition to the New Deal was certainly significant in terms of pushing for more radical change and critiquing the perceived inadequacies of FDR's policies, it is important to acknowledge that opposition to the New Deal also came from other political factions.
The right-wing opposition, exemplified by groups like the Liberty League and figures like Father Coughlin, presented a different set of critiques that focused on the New Deal as a socialist threat to individual liberties and free-market principles. These critics saw the expansion of government intervention as dangerous and spoke out against what they perceived as an overreach of federal power.
Additionally, challenges to the New Deal also came from the Supreme Court, which issued rulings that struck down key components of FDR's programs, such as the National Industrial Recovery Act and the Agricultural Adjustment Act. These legal challenges underscored the tensions between the executive and judicial branches of government during the New Deal era.
It is evident that opposition to the New Deal was multifaceted and emerged from various corners of the political spectrum. While left-wing critics like Huey Long and Francis Townsend raised important concerns about the limitations of the New Deal in addressing social and economic inequalities, they were not the sole voices of dissent. Right-wing opponents and legal challenges from the Supreme Court also played a significant role in shaping the debate around FDR's economic policies. Therefore, it can be argued that while left-wing opposition was prominent, it was not the only significant opposition to the New Deal.
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The most significant opposition to the New Deal came from those on the left of politics. How far do you agree with this view?
Left-wing opposition to the New Deal:
- Many left-wing liberals simply believed that the New Deal wasn’t going far enough and that FDR was making too many concessions to the business classes. They saw the policies of the New Deal as rejecting radical change in favour of accepting the economic and social inequalities that already existed.
- Huey Long, the Democratic Senator for Louisiana, was the best-known critic of the New Deal from the left. He wanted more federal government action to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor, as shown by his ‘Share Our Wealth’ plan. He had around 4.6 million supporters which encouraged him, in March 1935, to declare that he would run against FDR in the 1936 election. He was assassinated in September 1935. This ended a potentially key threat to FDR’s New Deal as Long might have drawn votes away from him to allow a Republican victory.
- Dr Francis Townsend, a retired doctor, also opposed the New Deal for failing to support retired people. He proposed that all citizens over 60 receive a pension of $200 per month which had to be spent in 30 days. A tax of 2% on commercial transactions would meet the cost. Half a million Americans joined 3000 Townsend clubs to lobby for the plan. Congress received a petition in support of Townsend’s plan signed by 20 million but ignored it. Nonetheless, the popularity of Townsend movement spurred FDR to create the Social Security Act of 1935. This led to the evaporation of most of Townsend’s support.
- These criticisms applied to the First New Deal 1933–35, which focused more on reversing the rapid decline in the US economy rather than providing social justice and a more equal society.
Other significant opposition which could be discussed:
- Opposition from the right – The Liberty League attacked the New Deal as a socialistic experiment. The group railed against “regimentation” and claimed attacks upon individual liberties. Politically ineffective, most Liberty Leaguers had to content themselves with simple rage against New Deal policies and personalities.
- Another right-wing popular leader was Father Charles E. Coughlin, known as ‘The Radio Priest’. His enemies were FDR, international bankers, communists, and labor unions. He blamed the depression on greedy bankers and called FDR a tool of the moneyed interests. He eventually became anti-Semitic and blamed the Jews for all kinds of problems. He formed an organisation called the Christian Front to advance his positions.
- Supreme Court – Schechter vs. United States, 1935, which ruled the National Industrial Recovery Act unconstitutional. US vs. Butler 1936, which undermined the Agricultural Adjustment Act, and Morehead vs. New York 1936, which ruled New York state’s minimum wage to be against the constitution. The first two overturned key elements of the New Deal. However, the TVA was accepted as constitutional by the court and the fear of FDR’s ‘court-packing’ plan did lead to a more constructive relationship between the court and FDR (the National Labour Relations Act and the Social Security tax were declared constitutional in 1937). Accept any other valid responses.