Franklin Roosevelt’s
New Deal and Its
Critics

Franklin Roosevelt won four presidential elections between 1932 and 1944. His Democratic coalition outlived him and dominated American politics for decades. Many New Deal programs, such as Social Security, remain the underpinning of the American welfare state. Despite these apparent successes, the New Deal met constant opposition. Even as many destitute Americans welcomed Roosevelt’s programs, the New Deal proved a political flashpoint. The president endorsed an unprecedented expansion of federal power, and he recognized early on that he had to persuade reluctant Americans that government programs would benefit them.

Some people were not convinced. The Republican Party led the opposition, but criticism of the New Deal also proved bipartisan. The southern wing of the Democratic coalition believed in states’ rights and sometimes bristled at the president’s sweeping federal programs. The Supreme Court ruled key New Deal legislation unconstitutional. Some critics, such as Huey Long, believed that Roosevelt was not doing enough to solve the nation’s problems.

As the following documents reveal, debates over the New Deal dominated American politics in the years between Roosevelt’s election and the beginning of World War II. Pay particular attention to the ways in which Roosevelt and his opponents attempted to make their points for a larger audience. Consider also where these documents fit in the longer history of debates over the role of government.