The New Deal Trivia Quiz

Answer: Brain Trust

Republicans may have had other names. The press named the group who were made up largely of Ivy League professors. During the critical first hundred days of Roosevelt's first term fifteen major laws were enacted, including the Banking Act of 1933, that put an end to the banking panic. Other measures were designed to stabilize the economy and develop relief and work opportunities.

The term 'New Deal' was originally coined by a 'New York Times' journalist and harkened back to Teddy Roosevelt's 'Square Deal'.

Answer: Alfred Landon

Alfred (Alf) Landon was Roosevelt's Republican opponent in the 1936 presidential election and was an opponent of the New Deal.

Each advisor brought expertise to the table: Rexford Tugwell, agriculture; Basil O'Conner, public health; Raymond Morley, taxation. To these we can add Adolf Berle, economy; Samuel Rosenman, communications; and Hugh Johnson, business.

The group mostly went back to their previous careers after the first few months of Roosevelt's first term and never met again, leaving the path open to a new cadre of advisors.

Answer: Too costly

The CWA was created by emergency act and with a short term goal of helping the nation through the winter of 1933-34. Harry Hopkins was appointed director. The goal was to pay competitive wages to participants from professional engineers to unskilled labor.

About four million workers benefitted from the program. The CWA's workers laid 12 million feet of sewer pipes, built or improved 255,000 miles of roads, 40,000 schools, 3,700 playgrounds, and nearly 1,000 airports. They also found time to upgrade 250,000 outhouses in rural areas.

However, the cost of the program was nearly a billion dollars (about eighteen billion in today's economy). When Roosevelt realized the cost, he moved swiftly to end it and develop less expensive alternatives.

Answer: False

The 1933 charter designated the Tennessee Valley Authority as a government owned but a private company. The goals articulated were to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development to an area in six states that were hit hard by the depression. Its short term goals had marginal effect but its long term goal of economic development continues.

The TVA is the largest public power provider with eight million customers covering a 80,000-square mile region. Because TVA was able to lower the price of electrical power, it was sued many times by private power companies for unfair competition. In 2013 the TVA celebrated its 80th year of operation, one of the truest successes of New Deal policies.

Answer: World War Two

When US participation in World War Two started, the nation adopted military conscription. Ironically, the same population group that formed the nucleus of the CCC were also a target group to be drafted, that is, young males and unemployed. In addition, Roosevelt asked all federal agencies to reorganize their priorities to abet the war effort.

From 1933 to 1942 the CCC was a haven for young, unemployed single men, The CCC primarily worked on ecological and conservation issues. They served six month assignments and were provided with housing and meals and paid 30 dollars a month, of which 25 dollars was allocated to their families. They worked 40 hours a week and 10 of those hours were devoted to education as few had finished high school.

Answer: Works Progress Administration (WPA)

The WPA became the cornerstone of New Deal work programs. There are few areas where the WPA did not have an effect such as post offices, airports, roads, and sidewalks. Many of these are gone as time and progress has taken its toll.

From 1935 to 1942 eight million people worked for the WPA, the peak being 1938 with 3.3 million workers. World War Two reduced the need for federal work programs.

My father had to quit school at 16 to help support his family. The WPA was his first real job. He earned 18 dollars a week, enough to pay the rent and put food on the table. He worked in war plants during WW2 but entered the building trades in the post war era and became a union leader.

Answer: Federal Insurance Contributions Act

FICA acts a collection mechanism to support Social Security and Medicare and to provide benefits for retirees and the disabled under the broad umbrella of the Social Security System.

Murray should be glad to know that his modest deduction will help with an income supplement and medical when he retires, although how meaningful this is to 17 year old is doubtful.

The full name of Social Security is Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance, enacted by Congress in 1935 under Roosevelt's New Deal. Through time it has expanded to meet changing needs. The concept was that payroll deductions would pay for the program although this is becoming more of an issue.

Libertarians have suggested making it voluntary or privatizing it.

Answer: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

The FDIC protects mainly the small investor. This sum has risen over the years and in 2016 it was 250,000 dollars. This applies to all deposits under that name.

FDIC insurance does not cover other financial products and services that banks may offer, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, life insurance policies, annuities or securities.

According to legend, the actor W.C. Fields was so disturbed by the early 1930s bank failures that he made multiple deposits in several banks under assumed names so the FDIC would protect his money. On his death it was found that he had not kept an accurate record and many of these were lost to his inheritors.

Answer: He wanted Congress to allow more appointees, to change the balance of power of the Court

The general public viewed the Supreme Court as obstructive and out of touch with the needs of the country. Roosevelt floated the idea of adding more Justices to the Court. Even his closet advisors thought that it be dangerous to tamper with the balance of power. In the end the Court remained the same. Since presidential nominations for the Court must be approved by Congress and serve for life, the Court itself may reflect a gamut of political views.

Some elements of the programs that were nixed by the Court were incorporated into different legislation.

Answer: The repeal of prohibition

In the early part of the twentieth century, the prohibition of alcohol became an issue as it was felt that alcohol lay at the root of many social issues. The grand experiment began in January 1920, with the eighteenth amendment to the Constitution. The Volstead Act shortly after created a Draconian enforcement system. Prohibition in various forms had been tried in many nations and is still found in some countries.

After the law was enacted, criminal elements seized control of illegal alcohol resources and distributed these products through shops called speakeasies. Depending on the area many speakeasies operated quite openly.

December 5th was a day of merrymaking and celebration and cast a hopeful light that the nation would emerge from the black days of depression.