1. The New Deal
Alphabet Agencies
WPA

2. Key Quotes: FDR’s Inauguration Speech
This Nation asks for action, and action now. Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. I shall ask congress for broad executive power to wage was against the emergency.

3. The New Deal: Alphabet Agencies
The Alphabet Agencies were set up to help reverse the ‘Spiral of Depression.’
The main aim was to pump money back into the economy by giving the unemployed jobs.
Not everyone within the Democratic Party agreed exactly how this should be done.

4. Causes of the Depression
People lose
their jobs.
Demand
drops.
Fewer goods
are sold.
The Spiral Of
Depression
Even more people
Lose their confidence
And spend less money
In order to
stay in business
companies cut
wages
Good place to point out that the spiral of depression is the opposite to the cycle of prosperity. Even discuss in relation to Henry Ford and the impact on the other industries that produced his standardised goods.
Companies are
forced to cut costs
by laying people off
People lose their
confidence &
start saving their
money
Demand
drops even
further.

5. Reversing the Spiral of Depression
Government
Spending $
More Pay = More Taxes
Alphabet Agencies
More Jobs
Cycle of
Prosperity!
Democrats called
this Process
‘Pump Priming’
More Jobs
More goods have to be produced
More Spending
Demand for goods increases
Why not print this presentation out using the print handout command and select 3 slides per page. The students can then make notes as they go along!
Demand for goods increases
More Spending
More goods have to be produced
More people with
Jobs = more pay $

6. How do you put the USA back to work?
Harry Hopkins
Harold Ickes V

7. Criticised for wasting taxpayers money on ‘boondoggles.’
Harry Hopkins
Work Relief preserves a man’s morale. It saves his skill. It gives him a chance to do something socially useful
Set up two key Alphabet Agencies: CWA & WPA which aimed to help the unskilled unemployed.
Boondoggles were plaits of leather strips that cowboys made to pass the time when they had no work to do.
Criticised for wasting taxpayers money on ‘boondoggles.’

8. CWA = Civil Works Administration
Built 800,000 km of roads.
Built 40,000 schools
Built 500 airports & rebuilt 500 more.
Built 150,000 public toilets.
Paid people to sweep up leaves in the parks.
Paid unemployed actors to give free shows.
Hired 100 people to scare pigeons away with balloons from public buildings in Washington DC.
Boondoggling

9. Harold Ickes
‘My PWA will give work to the unemployed by creating things of lasting use to the nation.’
Set up the PWA which gave jobs to the skilled unemployed.
Was very careful how he spent taxpayer’s money.

10. PWA = Public Works Administration
Built 70% of USA Schools.
Built 35% of USA Hospitals.
Built for river dams.
Electrified the New York Washington railway.
Built 50 military airports.
Built two aircraft carriers.
Built four cruisers & destroyers for the US Navy.
Built a new sewage system in Chicago.
PWA only provided jobs for the skilled unemployed!

11. What about the unskilled unemployed?
In response to being accused of ‘boondoggling’, when he gave unemployed librarians jobs cataloguing historical documents, Hopkins replied:
‘Hell, they’ve got to eat just like other people.’
In 1934, the CWA was shut down because it was wasting money

12. What about the unskilled unemployed?
In 1935, after a terrible winter FDR decided to help the unskilled unemployed by setting up WPA with Harry Hopkins in charge.
The PWA continued working until 1939.

13. WPA = Works Progress Administration
Built 11,000 schools.
Built 70,000 km of roads.
La Guardia airport in New York.
Employed photographers to make a record of the Depression.
Employed 12,000 Actors to put on plays and concerts to cheer people up!
Employed artists and painters to make paintings for display in schools and public buildings.
Gave work to 2 million people a year.
‘Boondoggles?’

14. Recap: Reversing the Spiral of Depression
Government
Spending $
More Pay = More Taxes
Alphabet Agencies
More Jobs
Democrats called
this Process
‘Pump Priming’
Cycle of
Prosperity!
More Jobs
More goods have to be produced
More Spending
Demand for goods increases
Why not print this presentation out using the print handout command and select 3 slides per page. The students can then make notes as they go along!
Demand for goods increases
More Spending
More goods have to be produced
More people with
Jobs = more pay $

15. Summary
Key Words
In order to get a a grade ‘C’ upwards in exams, you must learn and use the key words & facts.
These concepts will be awarded as key ‘knowledge.’
Spiral of Depression
Pump Priming
Unskilled & Skilled workers
‘Boondoggling’
CWA, WPA & PWA
Alphabet Agencies
AQA students only need to know about the WPA

16. Exam Question 1
How useful is this source for explaining how the New Deal put America back to work?

17. Mark Scheme Level Grade Description 1 E Simple undeveloped answer. 2 D
Uses or combines information from the sources. 3
C/B
Uses sources & own relevant knowledge / concepts. 4
A/A*
Balanced answer covering both parts of the question

18. Level 4 = an answer which includes one from each column.
For
Against
PWA = Public Works Administration.
‘Alphabet Agency’ designed to reverse the ‘Spiral of Depression’ and kick start demand
Jobs created for skilled construction workers: E.g. Builders & Plumbers deducted from poster
No mention of WPA which was set up to create jobs for the unskilled workers such as actors & photographers.
Photograph taken by a WPA photographer.
Level 4 = an answer which includes one from each column.

19. Exam Question 2
How successful was the New deal at putting USA back to work? Use the source and your knowledge to explain your answer.

20. Mark Scheme Level Grade Description 1 E Simple undeveloped answer. 2 D
Uses or combines information from the sources. 3
C/B
Uses sources & own relevant knowledge / concepts. 4
A/A*
Balanced answer covering both parts of the question

21. Level 4 = an answer which includes one from each column.
For
Against
FDR = Roosevelt taking ‘Action’ to end the Depression.
FDR is Pouring tax payers money to reverse the ‘Spiral of Depression.’ = ‘Pump Priming.’
New Deal wasting money 16 billion spent on ‘boondoggles’ jobs created by alphabet agencies such as CWA & WPA.
E.G. Scaring pigeons with balloons
Level 4 = an answer which includes one from each column.