How farming and agriculture will be dealt with should be interesting. May have big political consequences if much of the Old Guard based in the Midwest doesn't play ball.
The Ruins of an American Party System: From 1920 Onward
- Thread starter Emperor Julian
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Re-posting the notes, in case anyone missed them. Also, this can serve as an announcement that there is an update at the very bottom of the last page, in case anyone missed it.
As for the army, they'll be doing stuff soon. As for Agriculture, that's actually going a lot like OTL, thanks to Wallace being in control as OTL.
As for the army, they'll be doing stuff soon. As for Agriculture, that's actually going a lot like OTL, thanks to Wallace being in control as OTL.
Actually, the inertia is quite in evidence. It's the momentum that is slacking off.
Constantinople
Banned
Fascinating stuff! Those are some radical changes, even despite the challenges over healthcare. It certainly looks like once Olson either relents to a less wide-spanning system or dies.... they'll definitely have the votes to get *something* passed. And anything is better than nothing. He'll they'll have a better system then we have NOW.
It should be interesting to see how the next election goes (congressionally) for the Progressives. They'll almost certainly win the presidential election, I wonder if the very popular (for many people at least) welfare, labour, minimum wage... etc reforms will drive up the turn out and bring in more radical progressives...
I wonder if Olson is still scheduled to die.... right before the 1936 election, correct?
It should be interesting to see how the next election goes (congressionally) for the Progressives. They'll almost certainly win the presidential election, I wonder if the very popular (for many people at least) welfare, labour, minimum wage... etc reforms will drive up the turn out and bring in more radical progressives...
I wonder if Olson is still scheduled to die.... right before the 1936 election, correct?
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In an admittedly superficial way, Olson's fight and plight remind me of the conflicts within Congress and between Congressional leaders and President Carter OTL that prevented the 1970s Democratic supermajority from reaching a deal on health care before Reagan swept into office.
Constantinople
Banned
I can kinda, sorta see what you mean.
Excited for the next update. This is a pretty different America...that's for sure. A proto-welfare state in the mid 1930s... kinda crazy...
President Olson immediately leaped into action regarding the Dust Bowl. Many people fled to California, and there Olson established an enormous expansion of the American Employment Agency, and had federal funding given to California's own public works projects, which were operating on a lower than expected budget due to big businesses and wealthy people fleeing California. The AEA set up new public works projects to employ the refugees, and also used part of its budget to buy food to feed its workers. Olson ordered all of the food to be bought from Californian farms, and used the AEA to build up Californian infrastructure in hopes of starting an economic boom there to prove left-wing economics right.
However, there were many who could not flee and were trapped in the Dust Bowl, and as the situation in Northern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and bits of the surrounding states deteriorated further, Olson proclaimed a state of emergency and declared martial law in the areas affected by the dust storms. The President sent in the US Army, to help evacuate those who were trying to flee but too weak or poor to manage. He also ordered the seizure of all surplus food, with adequate compensation (as judged by the Department of Agriculture) to feed the hungry. He also proclaimed the debt of the farmers in affected areas to be canceled, and promised that the US government would compensate any debt-holders who actually needed the money.
He got Congress to establish a new federal executive department to regulate soil erosion and a new federal department to deal with potential droughts, and to pass new regulations on farming, to make it fairer to the workers and to prevent another catastrophe from occurring again. He ordered the AEA to set up public works projects to plant trees across the Great Plains in hopes of preventing any subsequent catastrophes of this nature. In addition, he ordered the Theatrical Production Division of the AEA (part of the General Artist Employment Division) to begin showing educational shows across the Great Plains to teach people about how to farm better and cause less erosion.
Many of Olson's actions regarding the Dust Bowl were unpopular, especially his basically dictatorial take over of Dust Bowl affected areas. However, as the months passed by, almost everyone who had lost their livelihood had been given a job and food. Compensation for confiscated surplus crops and canceled debts was rolling in, and most people saw how quickly Olson had reacted. While a minority denounced him, the majority of the population in the affected areas and without approved of Olson's policies. The statewide officials had differing reactions. Some became very unpopular and were deemed failures. Others, in particular Kansan Governor Alf Landon, were judged to have handled the crisis remarkably well, and saw a skyrocketing approval rating. Landon became famous overnight with a picture of him shaking hands with Olson in the middle of the emergency becoming a symbol for bipartisanship. While he became unpopular among the far-right of the GOP, among the moderates, independents, and Progressives, he was suddenly the most popular Republican in the country.
However, there were many who could not flee and were trapped in the Dust Bowl, and as the situation in Northern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and bits of the surrounding states deteriorated further, Olson proclaimed a state of emergency and declared martial law in the areas affected by the dust storms. The President sent in the US Army, to help evacuate those who were trying to flee but too weak or poor to manage. He also ordered the seizure of all surplus food, with adequate compensation (as judged by the Department of Agriculture) to feed the hungry. He also proclaimed the debt of the farmers in affected areas to be canceled, and promised that the US government would compensate any debt-holders who actually needed the money.
He got Congress to establish a new federal executive department to regulate soil erosion and a new federal department to deal with potential droughts, and to pass new regulations on farming, to make it fairer to the workers and to prevent another catastrophe from occurring again. He ordered the AEA to set up public works projects to plant trees across the Great Plains in hopes of preventing any subsequent catastrophes of this nature. In addition, he ordered the Theatrical Production Division of the AEA (part of the General Artist Employment Division) to begin showing educational shows across the Great Plains to teach people about how to farm better and cause less erosion.
Many of Olson's actions regarding the Dust Bowl were unpopular, especially his basically dictatorial take over of Dust Bowl affected areas. However, as the months passed by, almost everyone who had lost their livelihood had been given a job and food. Compensation for confiscated surplus crops and canceled debts was rolling in, and most people saw how quickly Olson had reacted. While a minority denounced him, the majority of the population in the affected areas and without approved of Olson's policies. The statewide officials had differing reactions. Some became very unpopular and were deemed failures. Others, in particular Kansan Governor Alf Landon, were judged to have handled the crisis remarkably well, and saw a skyrocketing approval rating. Landon became famous overnight with a picture of him shaking hands with Olson in the middle of the emergency becoming a symbol for bipartisanship. While he became unpopular among the far-right of the GOP, among the moderates, independents, and Progressives, he was suddenly the most popular Republican in the country.
Constantinople
Banned
I've always liked Landon, good to see him at the top of the pack. However, it looks like Olson (or rather, LaGuardia) will easily win the election...
The national debt must be gigantic!
The national debt must be gigantic!
It is already at the levels it was at the beginning of 1942 in OTL by the summer of 1935. And that is with Olson's massive tax increases.
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Constantinople
Banned
Damn.
Though, we've shown we can totally pay all that debt off given enough time and a good enough economy. I mean, the Depression is essentially over. But still, that's pretty fascinating how much of a fiscal conservative FDR is, especially compared to Olson.
I'm interested to see what Olson's healthcare reforms end up looking like, once they come around. The Progressives have enough of a majority to make *something* stick, even if it's quite watered down.
Damn, if Olson dies on schedule, he'll basically be the most productive slightly-less-than-one-term-president ever.
California looks like it's going to end up even more weird than it was OTL. A hard core Socialist governor, with a socialist friendly president.... businesses fleeing but government money pouring in....
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Orville_third
Banned
One wonders if Henry A. Wallace is being consulted. He'd have a lot to say regarding agricultural issues.
Wallace is the Secretary of Agriculture. Generally, most of the work is being done by underlings who are in charge of specific departments devoted to the Dust Bowl. But he is still getting some credit.
This is my first time posting on the forums and would like to start out by saying
what a great timeline this is.
While Olson looks unbeatable with the depression rapidly going away, his untimely death (if he dies on schedule) might be enough to get the Republican Dream Team (Hoover/Landon) in the white house in 1936.
May I inquire as to what such Democratic notables like Harry Truman, James Byrnes, and Robert Jackson are doing?
Here's hoping to see a political comeback by Theodore Roosevelt Jr as a Republican President.
what a great timeline this is.
While Olson looks unbeatable with the depression rapidly going away, his untimely death (if he dies on schedule) might be enough to get the Republican Dream Team (Hoover/Landon) in the white house in 1936.
May I inquire as to what such Democratic notables like Harry Truman, James Byrnes, and Robert Jackson are doing?
Here's hoping to see a political comeback by Theodore Roosevelt Jr as a Republican President.
Constantinople
Banned
I've wondered what way that will go. Olson's death could also create a wave of sympathy giving LaGuardia an even larger mandate. Remember, if he dies on schedule, it will only be a few months before the election.
It may also help that LaGuardia is rather more moderate than Olson. Maybe that will keep the moderate Progressives even more on board.
And I agree, Julian, this is a really wonderful, interesting and damned unique timeline.
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Thank you.
Harry Truman's political career was sidetracked by the utter collapse of the Democratic Party in Missouri. He eventually allied with the Progressives, finally won a judgeship, and is going to run for the Supreme Court of Missouri soon.
Byrnes was driven out of the Democratic Party by the Klan. He then allied with Huey Long, and became the leader of the Commonwealth Party of South Carolina. He returned to Congress in 1934, and plans to run either for governor or senator in 1936.
Robert Jackson (assuming you mean the Robert Jackson who was on the Supreme Court) is a prosecutor working for the Federal government. He was the prosecutor against Andrew Mellon, and even though he failed to convict the former president on anything, he has become the hero to the left for trying.
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was governor of New York from 1925 to 1931. He had too many rumors of corrupt ties to the Harding Administration to run for president in 1928, and with scandals and a collapsed economy, he became horrendously unpopular in 1930, leading to the Republicans to dump him and replace him with former Democrat Al Smith. He hopes to one day run for office again, once memories have faded, but the presidency is probably out for him.
Thank you.
Constantinople
Banned
You said this earlier: what exactly do you mean? The PP is just too radical?
Also, with the Commonwealth Party going from strength to strength, it's shaping up so that there are TWO major left wing (economically at least) parties, with a strong base. Crazy.
Is there any movement towards expanding the size of the House? That would benefit the Progressives I would think.
Roosevelt and La Follette did not particularly like each other, especially after 1912, and especially after Roosevelt became the biggest hawk and La Follette a major peace supporter during WW1. La Follette was also significantly to the left of Roosevelt on almost every issue.
Olson realized he needed to give Huey Long the South to secure his support and increase his majorities. Now of course, one political machine is taking over an entire region of the country.
Probably, but, remember there are still a lot of rural Progressives and mostly rural Commonwealthers who might be resistant to that idea. The Progressive leadership intends to expand it after the next census; the Republican-Conservative Alliance dominated the House after 1930, and while they reapportioned, they were unwilling to expand the size, and no one* wants to go through mid-decade redistricting.
*including myself
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