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Title: Politics & Society in 20th Century America Series: Depression 30s & World War
Author: Eugene Lieber
Narrator: Eugene Lieber
Format: Unabridged
Length: 2 hrs
Language: English
Release date: 2006-06-15
Publisher: IAB Inc.
Genres: Non-Fiction, Lectures
Publisher's Summary:
Hoover as President. Failing the Depression. Hoover believes in volunteerism-- the role of state, local governments and charities. But the Depression needs the enormous resources of the federal government. The cycle of business contraction, layoffs, and consumers unable to consume. The Hooverville slums. The devastating impact on middle class families. Grinding rural poverty. The psychological impact of people irrationally blaming themselves. (13.29.00) = Hoover's recovery theory. He believes that the best way to help is the trickle-down theory. Help those at the top. This is a failure because business lacks confidence and the money is not invested in job-making production. Hoover lacks charisma but makes things worse by his personal insensitivity to the calamity. (17.22.00) = The Bonus Army. Bonuses are promised to war veterans but funds not appropriated. Veterans' protest is smashed by the military. (21.40.00) = Roosevelt as President. FDR's background. He is from landed wealth, believes in service to the people as career. He is charismatic. Returns to politics after suffering polio paralysis. A dangerous drift between election and taking office 4 months later. Bank holidays. His inspiring inaugural speech, We have nothing to fear but fear itself.. (26.45.00) = FDR's political philosophy: either pragmatic or opportunistic, depending on whether you approve or disapprove of him. His fireside chats. Passes emergency banking bill. He continues the trickle-down approach, but he engenders trust. (31.50.00) = The first 100 days. A spate of legislation-- fixing prices, fixing standards. The NRA (National Recovery Act) fails. Dust storms due to drought causes havoc to farmers. The Agricultural Aid Agency is enacted to aid farmers. It raises prices by producing scarcities, but fails in practice, hurting sharecroppers the most, and is declared to be unconstitutional as well. (44.13.00) = FDR extends the federal role. He creates relief agencies, following John Keynes' theory of under-consumption of the jobless. Therefore, jobs must be created, a bottom-up approach, the opposite from the trickle-down approach. Direct relief is provided by the federal government. The PWA for large public projects for skilled workers, and the WPA for smaller level projects employing unskilled labor. It also aims to help creative people: artists, actors, musicians, photographers.
Roosevelt as President (continued) Role of Eleanor Roosevelt. She develops an independent life, becomes adviser to her husband, pushing humane issues, including the racism in the South and the rest of the nation. The Marion Anderson concert. (3.12.00) = The Tennessee Valley Authority. A unique project to help a poverty stricken rural area. It revitalizes the region and is an enormous success of a public government agency. Accordingly, the private sector blocks any attempt to repeat this elsewhere in the future. (6.34.00) = FDR and business. FDR is opposed by business interests which believe he wants to destroy capitalism. Instead, he wants to save it during this economic crisis. Business refuses to address human needs, attempts to deter radical parties. Seeing FDR as the enemy prolongs the Depression. (10.40.00) = Labor's Emancipation Proclamation. In 1935, the Social Security Act and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), known as the Wagner Act, are passed.
