Which statement best describes the opposition to the Tennessee Valley Authority?

• A. Opposition from farmers whose land was flooded and some big businesses who felt the US was moving towards socialism.
• B. Support from farmers who gained new land
• C. No opposition at all
• D. Opposition from urban workers

Answer: (A)

Opposition to the Tennessee Valley Authority came from people who were directly hit by its projects and from those who feared government control of essential services. Building the dams and reservoirs flooded farmland and homes, displacing families and disrupting rural livelihoods, so farmers and landowners often resisted the program. At the same time, some big businesses and private utility companies worried that the government running electricity would undercut private investors and promote a level of public ownership they saw as socialist. This combination—local losses for farmers and concerns from private interests about federal control of power—best explains why opposition formed. While some urban workers benefited from the New Deal programs, and not everyone opposed TVA, the described groups were the main sources of resistance.