Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first term as President went down in history as an example of the legislative and executive branches working in harmony to face the nation’s troubles. Among the new legislative initiatives were the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (which gave $3 billion to the states for jobless men), the Civil Works Administration (which organized winter projects for the unemployed), the Works Progress Administration (which offered public work to the unemployed), the Public Works Administration (which organized larger projects such as the building of schools, power plants, and hospitals). The National Recovery Act (NRA) called for shorter work weeks and a higher minimum wage (40 cents an hour). The Agriculture Adjustment Act began a federal program in which farmers were paid not to produce food. The Resettlement Administration offered relief to farmers who needed to refinance their mortgages. Congress passed legislation regulating the stock market to prevent the unprincipled speculation which led to the 1929 crash. The federal gold reserves were protected when FDR took the nation off the gold standard (meaning that paper money was no longer redeemable with gold from the treasury).

The public rewarded Roosevelt in the 1934 midterm elections. The Democrats won an additional ten seats in the U.S. Senate and nine seats in the U.S. House. This was the first midterm gain for the party in the White House since 1902, and it was a feat that would not be accompli

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Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first term as President went down in history as an example of the legislative and executive branches working in harmony to face the nation’s troubles. Among the new legislative initiatives were the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (which gave $3 billion to the states for jobless men), the Civil Works Administration (which organized winter projects for the unemployed), the Works Progress Administration (which offered public work to the unemployed), the Public Works Administration (which organized larger projects such as the building of schools, power plants, and hospitals). The National Recovery Act (NRA) called for shorter work weeks and a higher minimum wage (40 cents an hour). The Agriculture Adjustment Act began a federal program in which farmers were paid not to produce food. The Resettlement Administration offered relief to farmers who needed to refinance their mortgages. Congress passed legislation regulating the stock market to prevent the unprincipled speculation which led to the 1929 crash. The federal gold reserves were protected when FDR took the nation off the gold standard (meaning that paper money was no longer redeemable with gold from the treasury).

The public rewarded Roosevelt in the 1934 midterm elections. The Democrats won an additional ten seats in the U.S. Senate and nine seats in the U.S. House. This was the first midterm gain for the party in the White House since 1902, and it was a feat that would not be accomplished again until 1998.

FDR’s New Deal was one of the largest social experiments in American history. As such, it drew its share of opposition. The primary cause for concern was the cost. The national debt increased from $22 billion in 1933 to $36 billion in 1937. Many of the programs were directed by men with little preparation for the jobs, as there was a lack of expertise in the fields. The resulting free use of federal money was not universally applauded. The new requirements for businesses were not well-received by overworked and underpaid small businessmen.

As the election of 1936 drew near, FDR was the overwhelming favorite in the Democratic Party. Henry Breckinridge offered a primary challenge to FDR, but Breckinridge could not win more than 15% of the vote in any state (he received 6% in Ohio). The Democratic National Convention of 1936 offered the fewest surprises of any Democratic Convention since 1916. The delegates did not take a single roll call ballot (compared to nine in 1932). Roosevelt and Garner were re-nominated by acclamation. The most important step taken by the convention was the repealing of the two-thirds rule for the nomination of candidates. Bennett Champ Clark of Missouri sponsored the measure to repeal the two-thirds rule; his father had received over half of the votes of the delegates in 1912 but was not nominated. As the plan would reduce the influence of the Southern states in nominations, the convention voted to grant bonus delegates to the more safely Democratic states.

Although the polls at the time indicated a close election (or even a victory for FDR’s Republican opponent Alfred M. Landon), FDR carried all but two states. The Democrats gained an additional six U.S. Senators and eleven seats in the U.S. House. America wanted four more years of the New Deal.

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