America: The Last Best Hope, Volume II Enhanced, Chapter 5, FDR and the New Deal
Chapter 5 Debate: Resolved: The New Deal Has
Been Beneficial to America
Introduction
Teachers can use class debates to help students understand conflicting perspectives of a
past time and place or of a contemporary issue. This often involves dividing the class
into two or more parts and assigning each group a role. Students are then encouraged to
take on that role and argue their position. They need to argue the position they are
assigned, regardless of whether or not they agree with that position. Sometimes, teachers
may encourage students to know both sides of the argument and have the two sides
switch roles midway through the debate.
Objectives of This Debate
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Students will develop arguments both for and against an active role for the federal
government in the nation’s economy.
Students will consider New Deal measures and the positive and negative impacts
of those measures both then and now.
Background
Soon after Franklin D. Roosevelt took the oath of office as the nation’s thirty-second
president, the new Democratic Congress went to work passing a multitude of FDR’s
measures that collectively came to be known as the New Deal. These “alphabet soup”
agencies fell into the areas of relief (immediate aid to millions of suffering and desperate
Americans), recovery (measures designed to reignite the economy and get unemployed
people working), and reform (new institutions designed to prevent another such economic
catastrophe from occurring).
At the time, FDR believed such actions were necessary to save capitalism. His opponents
saw an attempt to move America toward socialism. One thing is certain, the growth of
the federal government during the period was revolutionary and America has never been
the same. To this day the debate continues. What is the proper role of the government in
our economy? Have government programs led to a culture of dependence?
Procedures
This debate can be done in one class period. The teacher should divide the class into two
parts, each side making arguments either for or against the resolution. Students should be
reminded that they should stick to their role and argue passionately for their position,
despite what they personally may believe. They should also be encouraged to base their
points on factual information, rather than opinion and emotion.
Each side of the debate should research both their position AND the position of their
opponents. This is important in the event the teacher elects to have the sides change
positions. It also makes for a better debate because each side is better able to counter
arguments of their opponents.
Students should be able to use America: The Last Best Hope to find dual perspectives on
these issues, but teachers will also need to provide background through short lectures or
explanations. Students can also do research on their own to find arguments to support
their point of view. Primary sources from the period can be particularly valuable as a
side builds its case.
The following chart represents basic points that should be covered by both sides.
Teachers should not immediately give students these points. They might be offered to
each side after students have had time to research on their own, or they might be withheld
until after the debate and used as a summary or to debrief the debate.
A blank version of the chart is offered at the end of this debate. Students may use this
blank chart to take notes as they research their positions in the debate.
When the debate takes place, arrange student desks or chairs with the two debate factions
on opposite sides of the classroom facing each other. The teacher should serve as a
moderator, beginning the proceedings, laying out the resolution, and calling on members
of each side in alternating order. If the debate begins to lag, the teacher may call a short
break and have each side “caucus” to rethink their positions and prepare responses to
arguments made by the other side.
Resolved: The New Deal Has Been Beneficial To America
Affirmative
Negative
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The New Deal put into effect
measures that have prevented
another such Depression from
occurring.
The New Deal gave us Social
Security, something critical to
American senior citizens.
The New Deal was not socialism at
all, but it did provide a “safety net”
for those who suffer from
capitalism. We need that safety net
to this day.
The New Deal reformed capitalism
to make it work for the benefit of
more people.
Without the New Deal and the
stronger federal government that
followed, we would not have
become the most prosperous nation
on earth.
Leaving government programs to
state and local governments would
lead to situations of great inequality
for people in need from state to
state.
NO industrial nation on earth has a
totally free market economy. The
New Deal approach of reforming
capitalism to make it work more
justly is seen everywhere.
Government created jobs in the
New Deal built buildings still being
used today and such jobs are still
improving our lives (highways).
A humane, moral republic would
never let families suffer like they
were when the New Deal was
created.
Families, churches, and charities
still play a critical role, but some
societal problems are so big that
only our national government can
address them.
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The New Deal greatly expanded the
role of the federal government,
something never imagined by our
Founders.
Many of the New Deal measures
could be carried out by state and
local governments – governments
closer to the people and thus better
acquainted with their needs.
The New Deal began a “culture of
dependency” and now Americans
expect their government to protect
them from “cradle to grave.”
Earlier Americans were much more
self-reliant.
Social Security, a noted New Deal
program is headed for bankruptcy.
It is becoming economically
unworkable.
The New Deal leads us in the
direction of a COMMAND
economy, where the government
interferes with the free market. Our
nation was founded on the idea of a
free market, capitalist economy.
The New Deal created a modern
welfare state. Millions of
Americans who were once cared for
by families, charities or churches
now look to their government to
meet their needs.
The New Deal has ultimately led to
dramatically higher taxes for all of
us. This makes it harder for people
to invest in companies that create
jobs.
The bigger and more expansive the
government, the less freedom we
have as individuals.
Thomas Jefferson said, “that
government is best which governs
least.” The New Deal led us away
from this principle and we have
never returned to it.
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address them.
Before the New Deal, there were no
protections from fraud in the stock
market.
from this principle and we have
never returned to it.
America: The Last Best Hope, Volume II Enhanced, Chapter 5, FDR and the New Deal
Student Debate Sheet
Name___________________
Date____________________
As your group researches their position on these issues, use the following table to record
your views and prepare for the debate. You should research and prepare for both sides of
this debate. As the debate progresses, make notes made by the opposing side that your
side did not anticipate.
Resolved: The New Deal Has Been Beneficial To America
Affirmative
Negative