Alphabet agencies

Editorial cartoons parodied the New Deal as Roosevelt's private game with alphabetical agencies.

The alphabet agencies (also New Deal agencies) were the U.S. federal government agencies created as part of the New Deal of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The earliest agencies were created to combat the Great Depression in the United States and were established during Roosevelt's first 100 days in office in 1933. William Safire notes that the phrase "gave color to the charge of excessive bureaucracy." Democrat Al Smith, who turned against Roosevelt, said his government was “submerged in a bowl of alphabet soup."[1]

In total, at least 100 offices were created during Roosevelt's terms of office as part of the New Deal, and "even the Comptroller-General of the United States, who audits the government's accounts, declared he had never heard of some of them."[2] While previously all monetary appropriations had been separately passed by Act of Congress, as part of their power of the purse; the National Industrial Recovery Act allowed Roosevelt to allocate $3.3 billion without Congress (as much as had been previously spent by government in ten years time), through executive orders and other means. These powers were used to create many of the alphabet agencies. Other laws were passed allowing the new bureaus to pass their own directives within a wide sphere of authority.[2] Even though the National Industrial Recovery Act was found to be unconstitutional, many of the agencies created under it remained.

Some alphabet agencies were established by Congress, such as the Tennessee Valley Authority. Others were established through Roosevelt executive orders, such as the Works Progress Administration and the Office of Censorship, or were part of larger programs such as the many that belonged to the Works Progress Administration. The agencies were sometimes referred to as alphabet soup. Some of the agencies still exist today, while others have merged with other departments and agencies or were abolished, or found unconstitutional.

Partial list of Alphabet Agencies

Initialism Year Agency
AAA1933Agricultural Adjustment Administration
CCC1933Civilian Conservation Corps
CWA1933Civil Works Administration
DRS1935Drought Relief Service
DSH1933Subsistence Homesteads Division
EBA1933Emergency Banking Act
FAA1933Federal Aviation Administration
FAP1935Federal Art Project
FCA1933Farm Credit Administration
FCC1934Federal Communications Commission
FDIC1933Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
FERA1933Federal Emergency Relief Administration
FHA1934Federal Housing Administration
FLSA1938Fair Labor Standards Act
FMP1935Federal Music Project (part of WPA)
FSA1935Farm Security Administration
FSRC1933Federal Surplus Relief Corporation
FTP1935Federal Theatre Project (part of WPA)
FWA1939Federal Works Agency
FWP1935Federal Writers' Project (part of WPA)
HOLC1933Home Owners' Loan Corporation
NIRA1933National Industrial Recovery Act
NLRA1935National Labor Relations Act
NLRB1934National Labor Relations Board/The Wagner Act
NRA1933National Recovery Administration
NYA1935National Youth Administration
PRRA1933Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration
PWA1933Public Works Administration
RA1935Resettlement Administration
REA1935Rural Electrification Administration (now Rural Utilities Service)
SEC1934Securities and Exchange Commission
SSA1935Social Security Administration
SSB1935Social Security Board (now Social Security Administration)
TVA1933Tennessee Valley Authority
USHA1937United States Housing Authority
USMC1936United States Maritime Commission
WPA1935Works Progress Administration

Songs

Roosevelt's alphabet soup was manifested in an armada of alphabet agencies, making them a popular motif for numerous cartoons (see cover picture). Since the New Deal is also part of the curriculum of American schools, a number of young people have embraced the subject and immortalized it with rap songs on video clips.

  • Beth Crawford, Robbie Fuentes, Eric Richter and Emily Spiek alias Frankie & his New Deal Crew: "Alphabet Soup, New Deal Rap".[3]
"That alphabet soup was the President’s plan … So in Frankie we trust with his alphabet soup …"
  • Colin, Matt, Chase and Tyler, to „Ignition“ by R. Kelly: "FDR's New Deal".[4]
"… now gimme that CCC, now gimme that AAA and pass that NRA …"
  • Katie Morganne and Jason: "FDR Alphabet Soup Song", over agencies created in the New Deal.[5]
"It all started out in 1932 when FDR represents the brothers in blue …"
  • Joshua Wagner [6]: "The Great Depression/New Deal Song".[7]
"Back in gold old 1933 we faced depression here in our country, FDR made new deals to help us out, so we could conquer unemployment and drought."

Notes

  1. ↑ William Safire (2008). Safire's Political Dictionary. Oxford University Press. p. 15.
  2. 1 2 Flynn, John. The Roosevelt Myth, Garden City Books, 1948.
  3. ↑ Alphabet Soup, New Deal Rap: youtube.
  4. ↑ FDR's New Deal: youtube.
  5. ↑ FDR Alphabet Soup Song: youtube.
  6. ↑ The Author's reply on a comment: .
  7. ↑ The Great Depression/New Deal Song: youtube.
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