Great Depression and a New Deal by Franklin D Roosevelt Discussion discuss and answer the questions ( 400 words)When President Roosevelt (FDR) took office

Great Depression and a New Deal by Franklin D Roosevelt Discussion discuss and answer the questions ( 400 words)When President Roosevelt (FDR) took office in 1932, in response to the economic crisis the country (the world for that matter) was facing, he said “We need to do something, if that doesn’t work, do something else, but for God’s sake, do something.” That statement says a lot about what FDR believed about the role of government in providing for the Welfare of the American people. What do you think he meant by that? What alternative (or polar opposite) position was he responding to? While we will revisit this theme again, what do you think the legacy of the New Deal is in social welfare and what is your opinion about the role of government? Great Depression and A New
Deal
Social Work’s New Beginning
Grace Coyle:
“The futility of the case-by-case method of
dealing with the problem is increasingly
obvious. The flood must be stopped at its
source, not mopped up by the bucketful,
however scientifically modeled the
bucket.”
President Hoover
President Hoover simply refused to act: his belief
was that public relief would demoralize the
American people.
Suggestions such as asking restraunt owners to
scrape leftovers into boxes to be handed out to
the worthy unemployed.
In 1930 he supported a bill to grant Arkansas
farmers 45 million for starving cattle, but refused
to support the addition of 25 million for starving
farmers and their families.
President Hoover
A reporter from The Nation magazine asked him:
“Must Americans perish miserably because of your
fear that their characters may be sullied by the
dole.”
This attitude led to a crushing defeat by Roosevelt
in 1932.
FDR and the New York
Experience
As Governor of New York State, FDR pushed
many new programs to provide relief to the poor
and unemployed because the Federal
Government chose to do nothing.
“It is common sense to take a method and try it. If
it fails try another. But above all do something.”
FDR and the New York
Experience
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September 23, 1931, NY State passed the
State Unemployment Relief Act (the Wicks
Act)—the first unemployment program in
the country.
Created the Temporary Emergency Relief
Administration (TERA).
Revamped the Public Welfare Law.
Created first Old Age Pension Law.
FDR and the New York
Experience
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FDR formed strong alliances with Social
Workers such as Harry Hopkins who he
appointed as Executive Director of TERA.
Also formed alliances with private
charities.
FDR as President
Believed:
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“Government is not the master
but the creature of the people.”
Responsibility for the wellbeing of all citizens;
Unemployment is caused by
an uncontrolled economic
system;
Public assistance is a matter of
justice;
Democracy is dependent upon
the health and welfare of its
citizens.
FDR as President
Shortcomings:
◼ Moved very slowly on civil rights issues,
especially for African Americans and
hispanic migrant workers;
◼ Believed in short-term relief as a long-term
solution;
◼ Held the notion of the worthy poor and
unworthy poor.
Programs of the New Deal
Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA): Was
enacted in May 1933. Made available $500
million to be distributed as grants-in-aid to
states to be used for emergency
unemployment relief.
1.
Set up the Federal Emergency Relief Agency;
2.
Every local relief administrator had to employ
at least one social worker;
3.
Emphasized work relief, cash assistance, food,
and commodities relief.
Programs of the New Deal
Civilian Works Administration (CWA):
Enacted November 1933.
1. Designed to put lots of people to work
quickly;
2. There was no means test attached to
qualifying;
3. Offered regular work hours at going
wages.
Programs of the New Deal
Social Security Act: August 1935.
1.
Involved both contributory social insurance
and public assistance aimed at preventing
destitution;
2.
Provided (a) old age insurance, (b) public
assistance for the aged, (c) unemployment
insurance, (d) public assistance to singleparent families with dependent children, and
(e) federal monies for state and local public
health work.
Programs of the New Deal
Social Security Act Continued
Old Age Insurance: At age 65, workers would
receive retirement annuities financed by taxes
on their wages and on their employers’ payroll.
Benefits would vary in proportion to how much
they had contributed to the program.
Unemployment Insurance: law required employers
to contribute to the federal treasury a certain
percentage of their payroll for insurance
purposes.
Programs of the New Deal
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC): Took
thousands of unemployed young men off the
streets and out of rural slums and put them to
work on reforestation and flood and fire control
projects.
Public Works Administration (PWA): provided
employment for millions of citizens in vast public
works programs created to stimulate depressed
industries, especially construction.
Programs of the New Deal
National Youth Administration: provided part-time jobs for
high school and college students so that they could earn
money for education.
Programs of the New Deal
Works Progress Administration: provided jobs for the unemployed, including
artists, musicians, and scholars, suited to their skills and experience.
http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/online/1934/index.ht
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Programs of the New Deal
Wagner National Labor Relations Act: Gave
Unions effective guarantees of their right to
organize.
Programs of the New Deal
Farm Security Administration: aided small
farmers and migrant farm workers.
Programs of the New Deal
Wagner-Steagall Housing Act: Established the US
Housing Authority to provide low-interest loans
to local officials to build public housing.
New Deal’s Impact on Social
Work
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Created many new public service jobs (# of
qualified Social Workers doubled over the
decade;
Stimulated a rush to develop professional
School’s of Social Work;
Led to a rise in professional organizations that
wielded political power;
Made social workers aware of the nature and
depth of rural poverty;
Prompted a resurgence in social reform “You
cannot deal effectively with an inferiority
complex on an empty stomach.”
New Deal’s Impact on Social
Work
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Emphasized the need for social workers to align
themselves with groups working for political,
social, and economic change.
Social Policy emerged as an important
component of social work practice.
Gave social work credibility as a profession.
By the end of the decade, social work was an
acknowledged responsibility of the federal
government as well as within each state and
community in the nation.

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