User:Doas52/New Deal

American Business Elite's Criticism
In 1934, American business and political elites of the United States worked together to establish the American Liberty League, an organization with the purpose of opposing the New Deal. Many influential families who were considered reputable leaders of the American business community in 1934 were part of the formation of the American Liberty League. The formation of the American Liberty League demonstrates how large corporations such as General Motors shared the sentiments of the influential families when it came to the policies introduced by the New Deal. The formation of the National Association of Manufacturers is another example of the business community coming together to combat the New Deal. It was generally believed by many wealthy business leaders that the policies of the New Deal were infringing on American constitutional rights. Many business leaders also felt that they did not have enough say in government policy. This time period saw the working class gain a stronger voice as labor strikes and union organization threatened large corporations. During the 1936 presidential election, the various anti-Roosevelt/New Deal organizations worked tirelessly to derail Roosevelt’s campaign and help elect candidate Alfred M. Landon. These organizations specifically attacked Roosevelt’s Social Security Act, claiming that the act was fraudulent and would simply take money out of worker’s paychecks. In the end, these efforts were unsuccessful as Roosevelt won the 1936 election in a landslide. The clear efforts of business leaders and major corporations to put a stop to the New Deal show how opposed the American Business community was to New Deal liberalism at the time. Author Lizabeth Cohen makes the point that the New Deal laid the groundwork for a more active role of the government in the economy and people's lives. This expanded role of the government continued in the postwar period, influencing policies related to housing, education, and other aspects of daily life. Business elites felt that this level of government intervention was interfering in private enterprise.