Glossary

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The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 sought to establish a partnership between the federal government and major producers of agricultural products. Its object was to raise farm prices by reducing the supply of farm goods.

brain trust

The Brain Trust was a group of economists and college professors who advised Roosevelt at the start of his first New Deal. It included Rexford G. Tugwell - regarded as the architect of the first New Deal - Raymond Moley, and Adolph A. Berle.

Harry Hopkins

Hopkins headed the Civil Works Administration and later the Works Progress Administration, which sponsored ambitious relief programs for the nation's unemployed by creating federal jobs.

Indian New Deal

As commissioner of Indian Affairs, John Collier created a series of New Deal programs that improved economic conditions on reservations. He also advocated the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, which terminated the allotment program established by the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887.

New Deal coalition

Roosevelt's victory in the election of 1936 was a triumph of the New Deal coalition, which included poor people, organized labor, urban ethnics, the Democratic South, blacks, and many intellectuals. This coalition continued to shape American politics for decades afterward.

NRA

The National Recovery Administration, established by the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1935, attempted to redefine the relationship between industry and the federal government.

Share Our Wealth

Huey Long of Louisiana attracted a substantial following with his "Share Our Wealth" program, in which he promised to tax the rich heavily in order to guarantee every American family an annual income.

Wagner Act

The National Labor Relations Act, or Wagner Act, created the National Labor Relations Board, which had the power to conduct labor elections, determine bargaining units, and restrain business from unfair labor practices. It put the full force of the federal government behind labor's right to bargain collectively.

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