New Deal Legislation

FERA – Federal Emergency Relief Administration – Established in 1933 to provide the most basic direct relief to the hardest hit families during the depression.

 

CCC – Civilian Conservation Corps – Set up to employ over 2.5 million young men, between the ages of 18 and 25, in projects that benefited American’s natural environment. It built fire roads, planted millions of trees, practiced stream and soil conservation, built park shelters and cleared fire breaks in National Forests.

 

CWA – Civil Works Administration – Created at the end of 1933 to provide jobs for the unemployed. These were often jobs with little significant value, such as raking leaves, and the program was criticized for its impact. Soon replaced by the PWA.

 

PWA – Public Works Administration – Established in 1935, it provided jobs that benefited local communities. This would include major construction projects, which in turn would stimulate other industries, such as steel, timber, and mining.

 

WPA – Works Progress Administration – This program was similar to the PWA in that it provided thousands of construction jobs that benefited local communities, but also provided jobs for actors, writers, musicians, and artists.

 

NRA – National Recovery Administration – Was set up to help American industries prepare “codes of fair competition” that established standard wages, prices, and hours. Symbol of the NRA was the Blue Eagle.

 

TVA – Tennessee Valley Authority – Established huge construction project in a 41,000 square mile region of the South. It built dams which in turn provided thousands of jobs, inexpensive electricity, flood control, and irrigation.

 

SSA – Social Security Administration – Was set up to provide benefits for retired workers, unemployment insurance, and a health and child-welfare program. Funds would come from workers paychecks.

AAA – Agricultural Adjustment Administration – Controversial program established to stabilize farm prices. It paid farmer to cut back on their production so that demand would exceed supply, thus raising commodities prices.

SEC – Securities & Exchange Commission – Set up to police the stock markets in America. It was established in direct response to the practices that brought instability to the investment and banking world.

 

FDIC – Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Established to create confidence in America’s banking system. It guaranteed the safety of accounts in the event of a bank failure.

 

REA - Rural Electrification Administration – Program that was set up to bring electricity to the farming communities and rural sectors of America.

 

NYA – National Youth Administration – Established as an after school job program for American teenagers. This was put in place to keep as many youths in school who might otherwise quit drop out to seek jobs to help their families.

 

FHA – Federal Housing Administration – Offered federally guaranteed loans to middle-income families who wanted to repair and old house or build a new one.

 

NLRB - National Labor Relations Board - Created by the National Labor Relations Act, the NLRA (also called the Wagner Act) of 1935 was established to protect the rights of organized labor and to allow them to organize and collectively bargain with employers.