Critique of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration

Hard Period 7: 1890–1945 New Deal

Amidst the unfolding economic challenges of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced a variety of initiatives under the New Deal aimed at societal recovery and financial reform. One such program was the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA), which sought to boost agricultural prices by controlling production. The AAA aimed to pay farmers to reduce crop output and thereby increase demand and the price of agricultural goods. However, some aspects of this program faced significant criticism for potentially disregarding the needs of tenant farmers and sharecroppers. Which of the following statements accurately reflects a critical perspective on the AAA?

The AAA primarily supported large landowners while often neglecting the rights and support of tenant farmers.

The AAA was universally accepted by farmers as an essential mechanism for economic recovery.

The AAA successfully increased agricultural production, leading to a surplus.

The AAA was exclusively focused on the northern regions of the United States.

Hint

Submitted13.5K

Correct12.3K

% Correct91%