President Huey Long's America

[Veratia]

As both a Democrat and proud Louisianian, I have put a lot of effort into studying my state's most prolific Governor of all time, Huey P Long.

Long was a deep-seated populist from the poorest part of my state and probably the country. While Public Service Commissioner, Governor, and US Senator, he expressed a very much left-of-center, darn near Socialist rhetoric. He planned on running against Roosevelt for the Democratic Nomination in 1936, but he was assassinated before he could realize that dream. Of course, for all his qualities and accomplishments, he was remarkably corrupt and tyrannical.

My question to NSG is, what would American be like if Huey would have been elected President and his "Share Our Wealth" campaign would have prevailed over the New Deal?

My answer: Extremely different.

Long wanted to guarantee a home, a car, and a $10,000 income to every single American family. He also wanted to begin a series of public service projects to occupy the excess labor force.

I would imagine that the United States would be far more centralized and would function as a social democracy. Long would likely have given the Presidency more powers, just like he did to the Governorship of Louisiana. The Federal Government would certainly be far larger and many services would likely be socialized. Universal healthcare, free education, and a guaranteed income would most likely be established, as would childcare benefits and other more contemporary concepts as time moved on.

Also, Huey would have probably fought the 22nd Amendment tooth and nail, considering he'd want to remain president for a good 20 years at the least.

[Benuty]

As both a Democrat and proud Louisianian, I have put a lot of effort into studying my state's most prolific Governor of all time, Huey P Long.

Long was a deep-seated populist from the poorest part of my state and probably the country. While Public Service Commissioner, Governor, and US Senator, he expressed a very much left-of-center, darn near Socialist rhetoric. He planned on running against Roosevelt for the Democratic Nomination in 1936, but he was assassinated before he could realize that dream. Of course, for all his qualities and accomplishments, he was remarkably corrupt and tyrannical.

My question to NSG is, what would American be like if Huey would have been elected President and his "Share Our Wealth" campaign would have prevailed over the New Deal?

My answer: Extremely different.

Long wanted to guarantee a home, a car, and a $10,000 income to every single American family. He also wanted to begin a series of public service projects to occupy the excess labor force.

I would imagine that the United States would be far more centralized and would function as a social democracy. Long would likely have given the Presidency more powers, just like he did to the Governorship of Louisiana. The Federal Government would certainly be far larger and many services would likely be socialized. Universal healthcare, free education, and a guaranteed income would most likely be established, as would childcare benefits and other more contemporary concepts as time moved on.

Also, Huey would have probably fought the 22nd Amendment tooth and nail, considering he'd want to remain president for a good 20 years at the least.

Times sure have changed.

However to even ensure Long lives he would have to have competent bodyguards who don't blast him full of holes while trying to shoot his would be assassin.

[The Liberated Territories]

The US would be broke.

[Benuty]

The US would be broke.

Ouch...but what of the world?

[Murkwood]

We'd be broke.

Long was more of a Populist than a policy wonk anyways.

[Republic of Coldwater]

It would've really messed up the American Economy and further delayed recovery from the Great Depression as if we aren't already behind recovery at that point in time, while we would be engulfed into a deeper debt while civil liberties and the constitution will be violated on a daily basis. We might become a Socialist Dictatorship or an Authoritarian Democracy, both of which are not good.

[The Liberated Territories]

The US would be broke.

Ouch...but what of the world?

The world would be neoliberal by 1960.

American focus on welfare = less spending for military = "the world" would be less reliant on the US for protection and have to fund their own militaries = the world would have less money for welfare.

[Benuty]

We'd be broke.

Long was more of a Populist than a policy wonk anyways.

Along with alot of other presidential candidates, and politicians at the time.

This is assuming we'd even have maintained such a massive foreign military presence in overseas nations to the extent of today.

[Murkwood]

Ouch...but what of the world?

The world would be neoliberal by 1960.

American focus on welfare = less spending for military = "the world" would be less reliant on the US for protection and have to fund their own militaries = the world would have less money for welfare.

American focus on welfare = less spending for military = The Man in the High Castle

FTFY.

[Benuty]

It would've really messed up the American Economy and further delayed recovery from the Great Depression as if we aren't already behind recovery at that point in time, while we would be engulfed into a deeper debt while civil liberties and the constitution will be violated on a daily basis. We might become a Socialist Dictatorship or an Authoritarian Democracy, both of which are not good.

That doesn't work how you think it works.

[Blazedtown]

I thought you meant Huey Louis.

[Benuty]

I thought you meant Huey Louis.

Now all we need is Patrick Bateman.

[Ieperithem]

Ouch...but what of the world?

The world would be neoliberal by 1960.

American focus on welfare = less spending for military = "the world" would be less reliant on the US for protection and have to fund their own militaries = the world would have less money for welfare.

Why neoliberal? Why not, say, conservative or libertarian, which also do not require high entitlement spending?

Personally, I think that Americans are less docile than many think. While we're willing to put up with quite a bit, the utter failure of Long's economic policies would almost certainly lead to some sort of secession, revolt, or assassination, if he did not, at least slightly, moderate himself partway into his presidency. In the latter case, we'd likely simply have seen Roosevelt's presidency under a different name, though perhaps with a somewhat less "smooth" transition into the war and a bit less national unity and confidance. In the former, there would likely be several heavily foreign - influenced American successor - states, and a far less stable world in the aftermath. North America, as well as the rest of the western hemisphere, would lose their characteristic safety and civility, possibly crippling humanity as a whole given that the east would, more likely than not, be facing far less intervention in the defense of the Koreans and Chinese, and Japan itself would likely remain crippled by the conflict. Perhaps there'd be some sort of peace after the war, if the Nazis eventually lost or collapsed, but without any sort of reconstruction funds from America, I can guarantee that it would be far less comfortable than the world we see today.

[Neros]

The honest answer?

Huey would be a one-term President. Checks and Balances exist for this particular reason, and he would be hit with two brick walls in the Supreme Court and Congress. Long did not have the political connections in Washington to gather any support beyond his home state, where even there he had prominent enemies. Should he run, many would expect him to a spoiler candidate for Roosevelt - but taking a look at the election of 1936 shows that Roosevelt held a massive edge over whatever the Republicans were limping to the bar with. Long would probably win Louisiana, knocking Roosevelt's victory from 523 Electoral votes to 513, but otherwise be a dull footnote.

There is an Alternate History post somewhere off-site that discusses Long's "America", I can go find it later.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

I thought you meant Huey Louis.

Now all we need is Patrick Bateman.

Or Weird Al.

[Herskerstad]

I doubt he would be able to balance his utopian projects AND worry about a certain Austrian overseas.

[Gauthier]

He wasn't called The Kingfish because he liked outdoor sports.

[Aurulie]

Sounds good economically.

[Greater Weselton]

Huey Long could have been like Stalin to America.

[Greed and Death]

There likely would have been a civil war if Long had been elected. He almost oversaw a civil war in the state of Louisiana as Senator( and defacto governor as the governor was his crony). Take it to the national level. Say what you will about FDR for the time he was in office he was the moderate given the prevailing economic conditions of the time.

[The New Sea Territory]

It would've really messed up the American Economy and further delayed recovery from the Great Depression as if we aren't already behind recovery at that point in time

Really, the only thing that pulled us out of the Depression was World War 2.

while we would be engulfed into a deeper debt

...ok. What about all those debts? The War paid for those.

while civil liberties and the constitution will be violated on a daily basis.

That has happened since the Constitution was first drafted. It has never been followed word for word.

We might become a Socialist Dictatorship

No, stop fearmongering.

or an Authoritarian Democracy,

America already is authoritarian and really always has been since the end of the Civil War, but we are not and never have been a democracy in the truest sense of the word.

both of which are not good.

Agreed, but I sincerely doubt it would ultimately make America and worse than today's authoritarian state.

[Empire of Narnia]

USA would be the USSA.

[The New Sea Territory]

USA would be the USSA.

....don't think so but sure.

[Constantinopolis]

American focus on welfare = less spending for military = "the world" would be less reliant on the US for protection and have to fund their own militaries = the world would have less money for welfare.

The world relies on the US for protection?

Against whom does the world need protection? Martians?

[Anglo-California]

Under Long, America would have entirely focused on Japan during World War II and would only give minimal support to the Western Allies fighting Germany. The Soviets wouldn't even be viewed as an Allied power.

After defeating Japan, America would adopt the "Fortress North America" attitude to seal itself off from either a Nazi or Soviet dominated Europe.