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The congressional elections of 1938 were a major setback for the Democrats. After five years of New Deal policies the Depression had not ended. In late 1937 a severe recession had begun, and by fall 1938 the country had not yet recovered. Increasing numbers of Americans were becoming disenchanted with the New Deal policies. Roosevelt made matters worse for his party in two ways. First, his court-packing scheme struck many Americans as an inappropriate use of executive power. Second, flushed with the gigantic vote of confidence he had received in the 1936 election, Roosevelt believed that by politicking in various states he could help to elect congressmen who would support his agenda and convince voters to withhold support from congressmen he wanted out of office. He miscalculated. In his effort to "purge" the Democratic Party of its most conservative members he began the 1938 campaign season with a train...
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This section contains 215 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) |
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