FDR Research Paper

The article The New Deal, by Thomas Kessner, outlines Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s pre presidency, but more importantly, the policy he used in an attempt to bring America back to its pre Great Depression economic greatness. In order to do so, Roosevelt expanded federal authority over American citizens. He implemented a progressive income tax as well as created numerous federal work projects, aimed at increasing employment, as well as use federal money to help the economy. One example the author uses to prove this point of the large amount of projects is the Tennessee Valley Authority initiative, which spanned across seven states. The projects worked towards economic development and conservation. This projects protected endangered forests, built dams, and brought electricity and running water to the people.

With the economy at on all time low people wanted change, Roosevelt's legislative program represented a new way of government for capitalism in America. Roosevelt first used the term "new deal" when he accepted the Democratic presidental nomination in 1932. He said "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people." When Roosevelt became President on March 4, 1933, business was at a standstill and a feeling of panic hit the nation (World Book, Vol.14, p.200). Roosevelt responded with a controversial policy that rocked the nation and what our nation stood for. Roosevelt's New Deal programs aimed at three R's- relief, recovery, and reform.

The America in the 1930s was drastically different from the luxurious 1920s. The stock market had crashed to an all time low, unemployment was the highest the country had ever seen, and all American citizens were affected by it in some way or another. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal was effective in addressing the issues of The Great Depression in the sense that it provided immediate relief to US citizens by lowering unemployment, increasing trust in the banks, getting Americans out of debt, and preventing future economic crisis from taking place through reform. Despite these efforts The New Deal failed to end the depression. In order for America to get out of this economic

Reform and reconstruction were represented by new regulations and monetary policies, it stressed the importance of change to make understanding principles of, “justice and fairness by those in whom leadership was placed,” and to correct conditions in the economy. (Bolden, 48). Other goals that the New Deal was set to accomplish were: helping the banking industry recover from its failure after the stock market crashed, lowering the unemployment rate from a record high of twenty five percent in 1932, and to restore the hope and confidence of the public. (Appleby, Roosevelt’s New Deal went about all of these in a similar means, but it was condemned and criticized by many for some of the programs that were installed.

In his inaugural address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the tone for the upcoming half century when he confidently said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. In response to the economic collapse of the Great Depression, a bold and highly experimental fleet of government bureaus and agencies known as Roosevelt’s Alphabet Soup were created to service the programs of the New Deal and to provide recovery to the American people. The New Deal was one of the most ambitious programs in American history, with implications and government programs that can still be seen to this day. Through its enactment of social reform and conservation programs, the New Deal mounted radical policies that gave the federal government unprecedented power in the nation’s economy and society, however, the New Deal did not bring America out of the Great Depression and could be considered conservative in the context of the era, ultimately saving capitalism from collapsing in America.

The New Deal was a set of federal programs with the principle of social-welfare liberalism. President Roosevelt was deeply compromised to help the most vulnerable in the ongoing crisis. In second inaugural address he outlines the progress of the New Deal “We have always known that heedless self-interest was bed morals…. Out of the collapse of a prosperity whose builders boasted their practicality has come to the conviction that in the long run economy morality pays.” At some extend President Roosevelt proudly tell the Nation that he was heading to the right direction to progress. Some of the New Deal successful programs that brought relief and dignify living to many Americans were Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) a direct governmental regulation of farm economy to resolve the overproduction problem. In the unemployment relief, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) that provided federal funds for state relief programs. Public Works Administration (PWA) a construction program that lead to Civil Works Administration (CWA) that provide work for more than 4 million Americans repairing, building, and constructing America's infrastructure. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) that mobilized young men to do reforestation and conservation work helping their family’s income and the country reservation. In 1935 in housing issues Works Progress Administration (WPA) Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) that help many Americans keep their

The American History provides a predicament between the actions and different point of views of President Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR),in the new deal to save the American people during the Great Depression of the 1930s. In David M. Kennedy essay “FDR: Advocate for the American People” describes the difference between these two presidents, and also explains how the New Deal proposed by President Roosevelt help to deal with the chaos that whats’ happening at the time. The President FDR played an important role in bring reforms, and changing the way of life for many Americans. The New Deal stressed recovery through planning and cooperation with business, but also tried to aid the unemployment and reform the economic system.

Americans, during the 1930s, clearly needed help. Too many were unemployed, struggling, starving, and/or homeless. One of the biggest legacies of the New Deal is that it combated unemployment with jobs in infrastructure. Many agencies and programs were set up to help increase America’s infrastructure and provide many needy people with jobs. One of those organizations was the Works Progress Administration. Incredibly, the WPA employed an average of 2.1 million people annually for a total of almost 8 million people. It had become largest New Deal program and required almost 11 billion dollars to fund it (Friedrich). The WPA was made with one goal in mind: to get people back to work so they can get money in their pockets to survive. The WPA built highways, airfields, public buildings, and did rural rehabilitation such as planting trees. In total, it had built around 110,000 public buildings, 600 airports, 500,000 miles of roads, and 100,000 bridges (“New Deal”). Like the WPA, the Civilian Conservation Corps, had been created to provide jobs, but it was mainly for younger Americans. This program had employed and put 3

Next goal of FDR was to provide recovery to Americans and the government. Roosevelt created the NRA (National Recovery Act) which established and administered a system of industrial codes to control production, labor regulation, prices and trade practices in business. Even though this was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court during the Schechter Decision, it led to the creation of PWA and NIRA which kept money into the economy and theory of “priming the pump” to stimulate economy. Although FDR’s aim in bringing an end to the depression by pumping money into economy, agencies were ineffective led to creation of Second new deal which continued to create government involvement in economy. NLRB or Wagner Act gave workers protected right

In 1932 during the worst of the great depression and prior to World War II, President Roosevelt’s administration implemented a series of initiatives or legislative reforms that all fell under the New Deal. “The flood of New Deal legislation that followed produced major changes in government-economy relationships and in government’s role in American society generally.” (Anderson, 2015, p. 72) Roosevelt’s description of the New Deal was that it would help to provide relief, recovery, and reform; this came to be known as the “3 Rs.” Many of the reforms were highly successful like the Federal Emergency Relief Act, Tennessee Valley Authority, Federal Housing Administration and the Social Security Act. In 1933 the Rural Rehabilitation

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30th, 1882 to James Roosevelt and his second wife, Sara Delano. Their family grew up in a small town in New York, where Franklin was born. He had no full siblings but, one half brother named James Roosevelt Roosevelt. James was a child to James Roosevelt’s first wife, Rebecca Howland. Growing up, Franklin did not attend a public school until he was fourteen. Until then, he was tutored and had many governesses. When he did attend school, it was a boarding school called Groton, which was a school to prepare students for college. So, growing up, his family no financial problems. Franklin did attend Harvard for college and in his freshman year, his father passed away.

Roosevelt, also tried to regulate the controlling of production, and to steady prices. As such, he issed the Agricultural Adjustment Act. FDR used the advansment of the radio technology and his ability to communicate his ideas to the people. And because the radio was quiet prominent and revolutionary during this period, his speeches were brooadcast all over the nation, giving the American people confidence. Also, during the Depression many people (workers) pitched in their help in bettering worker’s conditions and wages, as Roosevelt's administration centered their influence on getting people back to work and working. The National Recovery Administration (NRA), who’s main goal was to eleminate cut through competition, by bringing industries,

The New Deal set out to provided relief for the needy, economic recovery and reform to basic government institutions. Although the New Deal, was not a complete success it created a political coalition “that helped millions of Americans withstand the privations of the great depression.” The New Deal allowed the federal government to become more involved in the lives of Americans. FDR stressed the importance of government intervention, to shield Americans from the economy. FDR’S New Deal aimed to help “the forgotten man at the bottom of the pyramid” . The New Deal gained strong support from “farmers, factory workers, immigrants, city folk, African Americans, women, and progressive intellectuals.” FDR wanted to help the poor, who were most affected by the depression. Roosevelt’s new experimental programs expanded our government’s role in American society and economy, and left many Americans with the hope that the US government would improve conditions. The New Deal adopted a radical motto, seeking immediate relief: action, experimentation and improvisation became the New Deals Slogan. This motto allowed the New Deal to move from ideas to policy, with

At the beginning of the 1930s, 17% of the workforce became unemployed, and Americans were losing hope in Capitalist ideas. On October 24, 1929, historically known as “Black Thursday,” the United States stock market crashed due to investors in the market selling off their shares. This disaster in the economy brought financial uncertainties in the country, increasing unemployment, and troubles in nationalism. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt became president in the year of 1933, “the country was in its depth of the Great Depression”(Brainyquote, 2008). Roosevelt brought with him the New Deal which, consisted of relief programs in order to replenish the U.S. labor market. President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the role of the federal government

During his first 100 days in office, President Franklin Roosevelt began the process of economic reform, calling it the “New Deal” Coalition (Baum & Kernell, 2001). During this time, he proclaimed a bank holiday and spoke directly to the public in a series of radio broadcasts that became known as “fireside chats” (Schnell, 2000). Simultaneously, he was focusing on the welfare of the people of our nation; setting into place policies and regulations that would serve to get people back on their feet. His enthusiasm and strong convictions brought him the public’s respect and an intense following. His New Deal programs, new reforms, and laws redefined the role of the federal government in the lives of Americans. Until Roosevelt took office, the federal government had not been involved in the banking or finance industries and had not attempted to regulate farming prices or been involved in the relationships between employees and businesses. Many of the programs that he put into place and laws that he signed go the country through the Depression and still remain a very important part of our federal government, even today (Schnell,