Criticism of the Agricultural Adjustment Act

Medium Period 7: 1890–1945 New Deal

As part of New Deal programs in the 1930s, the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) was designed to boost agricultural prices by reducing surpluses. The AAA paid farmers to cut back on production of staple crops, such as cotton and wheat, in an effort to raise prices and restore profitability in the farming sector. Additionally, these measures aimed to address the needs of struggling farmers and to improve the economic climate of rural America.

Which of the following critiques was most commonly levied against the AAA and its policies during the New Deal?

It disproportionately benefited large landowners while penalizing tenant farmers and sharecroppers.

It failed to establish a federal price support system for non-crop commodities.

It prioritized urban industry over agricultural interests, leading to further rural decline.

It encouraged overproduction of food, exacerbating the economic crisis.

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