During the four months in which Roosevelt waited to take office, he began to create a new set of policies for his administration, with his carefully selected "team" which were called "the brain trust". These policies were supposed to cure the problems of the depression and was referred to as the "New Deal". This new deal promised relief for the needy, economic recovery and financial reform.
2. How successful were FDR's fireside chats?
FDR's fireside chats were a huge success because then Americans could listen into what the leader of their country was planning and he could answer their questions. This was a huge success in the sense that when people were hearing rumors of banks failing, they were thinking that since the banks were going out of business, they should withdraw their lifesavings so they don't lose everything when ironically the banks were going out of business because everyone was withdrawing so much money. With the use of the radio, FDR was able to get the message across that the last thing people should be doing is withdrawing all of their money and in result many people who had taken out their money redeposited it into the banks shortly after, proving the fireside chats to be a success to a great degree.
3. How did New Deal programs affect various regions of the United States?
The new deal programs affected various regions of the United States in countless ways. It helped the farmers of rural areas by paying them to produce less food, causing the price of food to increase and helping the farmers income go up. A lot of jobs were created with roadwork and renovations which weren't essential but helped put people back to work such as the TVA creating thousands of jobs to renovate five existing dams and constructing 20 new ones to help the Tennessee River Valley. Many other programs like the TVA were created to provide relief through other work projects & cash payments and less people were out of jobs.
4. How did liberal and conservative critics differ in their opposition to the New Deal?
Liberal and conservative critics differed in their opposition to the New Deal in the sense that liberals, who wished to aid people with the help of the government as much as possible, didn't think that the New Deal was helping enough. Conservatives on the other hand disliked the fact that the government was interferring so much.
5. Do you think Roosevelt was wrong to try to "pack" the Supreme Court with those in favor of the New Deal? Explain your answer.
I think Roosevelt was wrong to "pack" the supreme court with those in favor of the New Deal in the sense that he was mainly doing it because he wanted to get his way, but I think he was correct in the sense that a split decision would get him nowhere and keep America in the depressed state that it was in.