Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumThe New Deal: Policies, Reforms, and Debates

Excerpt from a statement by the American Liberty League, 1934:

'The New Deal program... involves a degree of federal control over the individual and over business which is not only contrary to the spirit of our institutions but is also destructive of the very initiative and enterprise which have made America great... We are witnessing a rapid drift toward state socialism, where the federal government controls the production, distribution, and daily life of all citizens.'

Which of the following arguments best represents the primary conservative critique of the New Deal reforms as expressed in the excerpt?

  1. The expansion of federal authority and economic regulation undermined individual liberty and the traditional free-market system.Answer
  2. B
    The New Deal reforms immediately and fully ended the Great Depression through direct federal management of all private industries.
  3. C
    The administration's policies marked a return to the absolute laissez-faire economic approach characteristic of the Gilded Age.
  4. D
    The programs were an attempt to implement the Great Society model of federal healthcare and antipoverty programs.

Answer

The argument that the expansion of federal authority and economic regulation undermined individual liberty and the traditional free-market system.
The correct answer is correct because the American Liberty League was formed by conservative Democrats and Republicans who believed the New Deal's legislative reforms represented government overreach that threatened individual liberties and the free-market economy.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the historical source and identify its author and perspective.
The source is a 1934 statement from the American Liberty League, a conservative organization of business leaders and politicians opposed to Franklin D. Roosevelt's policies.
Understanding the author's viewpoint helps contextualize the main argument against the New Deal.
2
Examine the core claims made in the excerpt.
The text criticizes the New Deal for 'federal control over the individual and over business,' claiming it is 'destructive of the very initiative and enterprise' and represents a 'drift toward state socialism.'
Identifying key phrases clarifies the specific objections raised by conservative critics.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that matches the league's perspective and correct historical facts.
The option stating that federal expansion and regulation undermined individual liberty and free enterprise aligns with the conservative critique of government overreach. The other choices either contain historical errors about the end of the depression, misinterpret New Deal ideology, or conflate the New Deal with the Great Society.
Comparing the analyzed argument with the options identifies the correct and historically accurate statement.

Key Concept

Conservative opposition to the New Deal's expansion of federal power and economic regulation.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Rate this question

Topics

The New Deal: Policies, Reforms, and Debates

More questions from this topic