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Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1933-41 » The Second New Deal: The WPA and Social Security

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Section A, Investigation A3, Key topic 4

Why Roosevelt launched a second New Deal in 1935
How the Works Progress Administration (WPA) gave people jobs
What the Social Security Act of 1935 offered the old, the unemployed, the blind and children in need
How to answer a 6-mark “Describe two features” question

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Why a second New Deal?

By 1935 the first New Deal had helped, but the Depression was not over. Millions of Americans were still out of work, and many old people had no income at all. Some critics said Roosevelt was not doing enough for ordinary people. In the elections of November 1934 his Democratic Party won even more seats in Congress, which gave him the support he needed to try bolder ideas.

From 1935 Roosevelt launched what is called the second New Deal. It put more weight on helping the poor and on lasting reform, and less on short-term emergency measures.

Key terms:

Second New Deal: the laws and programmes from 1935 onwards, with a stronger focus on jobs, welfare and workers' rights.
Welfare: help from the government for people who cannot support themselves, such as the old, the sick or the very poor.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA)

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) began in 1935 under the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, with Congress voting nearly $5 billion to pay for it. It was run by Harry Hopkins and took over much of the work of the earlier relief agencies. Its idea was simple: the government would pay a wage for real work, rather than hand out money for nothing.

The WPA built things that the country needed, such as roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, playgrounds and airports. It also found work for people whose jobs were not building. Under a scheme called Federal Project Number One, artists painted murals in public buildings, writers produced guidebooks to each state, and musicians and actors performed in towns across the country. Women were given jobs too, for example sewing clothes and running school meals.

Over its life the WPA gave work to about 8 million people, and it carried on until 1943.

✅ Achievements

Millions of families had wages and kept their self-respect. Many roads, schools and public buildings were built and were still in use for years afterwards.

❌ Shortcomings

It could not give a job to everyone who needed one. Wages were low, and critics said that much of the work was wasteful. Others thought it cost the government too much money.

The Social Security Act, 1935

Before 1935 the American government gave no national help to the old or the unemployed. Old people relied on their families, savings or charity. The Social Security Act was signed on 14 August 1935 and was one of the most important laws of the New Deal.

Key terms:

Old-age pension: regular money paid to people when they retire from work.
Unemployment insurance: payments to workers who lose their jobs, paid for by money collected from employers while people were in work.

The Act did several things:

Old-age pensions. Workers paid a small tax from their wages, matched by their employers, and received a pension when they retired at 65.
Unemployment insurance. A tax on employers paid for benefits for workers who lost their jobs. The scheme was run with the states.
Help for those in need. The government gave money to the states to help the blind and to support children in need, such as those in families with no breadwinner. Old people who were poor could also get help.

🏥 Impact

For the first time Americans had a national system that protected them in old age and when out of work. It became a lasting part of American life.

⚠️ Limits

Many workers were left out, including farm workers and domestic servants. Pensions were small, and the Act did not cover health care.

Common mistakes

Saying the WPA gave handouts. It paid wages for work.
Thinking Social Security was paid for only by the government. Workers and employers paid taxes into it.
Leaving out the limits. Say who was not covered, and that the pensions were small.

Exam-style question

Describe TWO features of EITHER the Works Progress Administration OR the Social Security Act of 1935. [6 marks]

Model answer

I will answer on the Works Progress Administration. One feature was that it gave people paid work on public projects. Set up in 1935, the WPA employed millions of unemployed people to build roads, bridges and schools, so that they earned a wage instead of receiving a handout.

A second feature was that it also found work for artists, writers and musicians. Under Federal Project Number One, artists painted murals in public buildings and writers produced guides to the states, which meant that jobs reached people outside construction.

What lifts it to the top level: two separate features, each explained with accurate supporting detail.

Exam tip

Choose the option you know best and write two paragraphs. Start each with a clear feature, then add two facts to support it. One feature on its own can score no more than 3 marks.

Recap

In 1935 Roosevelt launched the second New Deal because millions were still jobless and the old had no income.
The WPA paid wages for useful work, from roads to murals, but could not employ everyone.
The Social Security Act of 1935 created old-age pensions, unemployment insurance and help for the blind and for children in need, but left many workers out.

Exam tip

Learn two features and one fact each for the WPA and the Social Security Act. That lets you pick either one in a “Describe two features” question.

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