Social Security Act (SSA)

• Description – pension system to provide $ to elderly, disabled, single mothers, and unemployed. Worker & employer pay in. Basic subsistence allowance.

• Affect – provided ~$50/month to elderly, etc…

• Today – continues to be an important safety net for many – elderly and others.

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

• DescriptionDescription – Subsidize farmers in order to raise prices of staple crops. Also buys surplus crops and sells them over seas / gives them to needy. Move families to more fertile land; irrigation proj. to help; planted trees in heartland to break winds.

• AffectAffect – yes. stabilized prices; helped farmers pay their loans; helped farms be more efficient.

• TodayToday – still around. Subsidies help ctrl. Prices but mostly helps corporate farms.. not the little guy.

National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) AKA: The Wagner Act

• Description – secured the right of unions to use collective bargaining, organize, and fight for their rights/interests. Est. laws that businesses have to follow in dealing with unions/workers.

• Affect – Unionism . (35% union enrollment) Strikes followed.. = settlements in worker’s favor

• Today – still here. Federal Labor Board contin. To investigate abuses.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

• Description – 18-25y.o. (single men mostly) jobs in public works proj. – $5 paid to men; $25 sent to their fam.

– Construction; parks; planting trees

• Affect – 55% decr. In crime. Literacy increased (CCC taught them); built roads; public buildings; etc…; planted trees in dust bowl region. Homelessness/vagrancy decreased.

• Today – no more but effects (spirit ) still felt today.

National Youth Administration (NYA)

• DescriptionDescription – work and edu. for 16-25 y.old men & women. Paid $20/month to clean/landscape pub. parks, cook in soup kitchens, sew garments for needy, work in libraries, hospitals, etc.

• AffectAffect – Fed.-sponsored work-study programs that helped over 600K students pay for college and 1.5 million stay in high school.. Also vocational training (learning a trade)

• TodayToday – still around and important for many in pursuing their edu. / career goals.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

• DescriptionDescription – build dams, waterways, flood ctrl., stimulate crop growth in Tennessee valley region. Bring electricity to that region also. Employ over 9 million workers.

• AffectAffect – rural electrification of Tenn. Valley. Brought econ. growth to region . Important dams and infrastructure that continue to help this area. Also forced elect. companies to compete with gov. prices.

• TodayToday – contin. today to be major provider of electr. in that region.

Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)

• Description – $500 million grants to states to set up soup kitchens and $ aid to families (cash payments), and housing camps. Surplus crops sent to direct relief programs/food/clothing for needy.

• Affect – temporary relief but helped millions. Also created jobs (work relief) to get people on their feet again.

• Today – welfare still around (food stamps, money, etc…)

Public Works Administration (PWA)

• DescriptionDescription – gov. funded construction projects. Goals = provide jobs to unempl., industrial growth, improve landscape (dams, bridges, canals, etc.)

• AffectAffect – incr. consumer power; 65% of nations sewer systems; 70% of schools; hospitals; 10% of bridges, subways built… = massive amounts of projects which revived the econ. and our infrastructure.

• TodayToday – not around but gov. pays companies today to do these things. (privatization)

Federal Art Project (FAP)• DescriptionDescription – Employ over 40K

artists, actors, dancers, musicians, etc.. The fed. sponsors pub. art projects (murals, museums, theater…

• AffectAffect – reached over 100 million Americans in some way, whether employed by them or enriched by their works. Celebrated American culture and aspects of the New Deal (propaganda)

• TodayToday – the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) provides grants to a variety of artists and projects to preserve American culture.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

• DescriptionDescription – regulate banks & protect depositors’ $ if the bank fails. Insures each person’s money up to $5,000+. Monitor banks practices. Sets reserve requirement for banks.

• AffectAffect – Public confid. In banks increased (began depositing their money again). Prevented run on banks. Forced banks to follow the rules now.

• TodayToday – still functions much as it did then.$ insured up to $250,000. Major reason our banking system is solid (lots of consumer confidence.)

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

• Description – regulates stock market; sets rules that companies and investors have to follow (they have to submit financial records to gov. quarterly for review). Goal= to reform a major prob. that caused G.D.

• Affect – more legitimate marketplace (banks can’t gamble w/ your $). Gov. regulation = consumer confidence = consistent ‘safe’ investing by people.

• Today – contin. to regulate. Brokers have to follow same rules. Jail for those who practice fraud or unethical ..

Public Works Administration (PWA) – Housing

• Description – create affordable housing low-rent housing in impoverished = goal. Demolish slums, rebuild areas.

• Affect – completed 51 housing proj. in former urban slums. Also, improved farm housing/camps.

• Today – HUD still funds low-income housing/ assists private home builders.