Sunstein Analysis

Hayek believed the economy should remain untouched and in times of trouble, with enough time, the markets would regain equilibrium. He also surfaced the ideas that increasing taxes led to discouragement of consumer spending. These ideas are viewed as flawed because during times of depression unemployment remains constant and there is so guaranteed time issues will resolve while the economy is trying to rebalance itself. No government regulation results in unfair monopolies of industries or businesses in the free market. This restricts modern liberal principles such as the equality of outcome. No government intervention is an ineffective way to structure the economy. It allows for numerous issues such as cheap labor, overpriced goods, non-equal wages. All issues could be resolved through government action and regulation. Hayek’s ideas can be closely ties with those of the Untied States president in 1981, Ronald Reagan. Reagan upheld a huge economic practice know as “Trickle-Down Economics”. This practice involved an attempt to redistribute wealth among different social classes. The government would cute taxes on wealthier citizens with hopes the wealth would trickle down in the economy through mass spending of the elite. This effect was never successful in practice, by cutting taxes for the rich it left them with a high concentration on wealth. This practice aimed at the wrong target and did not prevent relative poverty; it just increased the economic gap between the rich and poor. Both theory’s are evidently flawed and validate the need for a government to obtain economic responsibilities. Regulations ensure an equal ground for the mixed market, which is a key aspect in a stable economy. Modern liberal principles require government involvement to achieve economic

Capitalism and Freedom, written by Milton Friedman, seems to focus significantly on the connections between the economics and politics, and the effect that those have in various aspects of society. This relationship was referred to throughout the book, and the topics Friedman discusses ranged between governmental control of money, to foreign policy and trade and the effect that has on our economy. Through the course of the book, Friedman constantly refers to his “classical liberal” view, which focuses on the freedoms and power of the individual in society. Friedman shows his support of this view during the book using the idea of a laissez-faire government. For Freidman, government involvement in issues regarding society should

In the past, the nation’s government took the “laissez-faire” approach to dealing with the economy and/or free market affairs. The government intervened as little as possible, asserting the belief felt that if left alone, economic problems would be resolved without government interference. However, this approach was not guaranteed, and at times, the government had to put aside the “laissez-faire” approach of the past. The government had no other choice but to intervene in these instances to return balance to the economy and protect its citizens it served. The government changed both its approach and its size through programs initiated by the Industrial Revolution, New Deal programs during and following the Great Depression, and World

This established the idea that people would become “self-reliant”. Individual success was encouraged and government intervention was to be kept minimal. People aspired to achieve these objectives, for example, earning respect, conquering individual goals and measuring success by gaining material status. Laissez Faire was a philosophy used by previous conservative US Presidents, which also promoted minimal government involvement. As America became more industrialised the system faced many problems. The lack of government participation in both of these theories is what led to the American government only coming to the realisation of an economic crisis when it was too

The book “Taking Sides: Clashing Views in United States History” by Madaras, Larry and James SoRelle draws attention on controversial issues. James and Madaras wrote the book in a debate-style format, which intrigues many students, hence supporting them in enhancing their critical thinking skills. James and Madaras ensured that every issue in the book has a summary, introduction, challenge question and postscript. Therefore, the paper will focus on issue 10, which debates on whether the new deal prolonged the great depression. The great depression refers to an era in US history, which happened from 1929 to 1941 during president Franklin Delano Roosevelt era, and it made the US citizens face economic hard times. The great depression era had much overproduction, inequality in wealth distribution and over borrowing. Consequently, the president implemented the new deal with the aim of saving American citizens from the great depression. However, people had different feelings regarding the effectiveness of the new deal, which brought up the debate in the book. For example, Burton Folsom believed that the new deal was not effective because he thought that it prolonged the great depression. On the contrary, Roger Biles alleged that the new deal was effective, and it did not prolong the great depression (Madaras and James 227).

Reed’s book, Great Myths of the Great Depression, attempts to argue that the stock market crash of 1929 was merely a normal economic occurrence. Instead, it was government policies enacted in response that exacerbated and prolonged the economic effects of the crash. In effect, Reed’s thesis flips the conventional view on its head: instead of being the cause, free-market capitalism would have naturally solved the issues that led to the Great Depression. Conversely, government intervention was a cause of, rather than a solution to, the economic hardships that resulted.

Because the governments’ prevailing economic theory was based on laissez-faire economics, the government believed that recessions were self-correcting. Eventually unemployment and inflation stopped declining, but not before the U.S. lost 1/3 of it’s output and 25% of the workforce was unemployed.

Multi-billion dollar corporations pay increasingly less to their workers so that capital will remain high. In today’s society workers cannot depend on making more than they expect because the Canadian capitalist system exploits workers. Many theorists can argue how the middle class cannot reach their dream, almost impossible such as John Kenneth Galbraith, Milton Friedman and John Maynard Keynes. Firstly, Galbraith influenced economic thought in a way that international corporations held the real decision making control in the economy, arguing that middle class individuals should also be considered into the economy to reach their goal of affluence. Additionally, he believed that more government involvement and regulation policies for the economy should be imposed, to help improve society and diminish poverty. For instance, a high production rate in consumer goods including automobiles and televisions in abundance to public goods including schools, hospitals and parks being short in supply. In contrast to Galbraith, Milton Friedman argued against government intervention in the free-market economy, believing that the government intervention resulted in price inflation and increased public debt. Friedman argued the most important way into maintaining a healthy economy for all classes is to regulate the supply of money in circulation known as monetarism. Furthermore, John Maynard Keynes, a historical economist during the Great Depression, recognized the importance of government spending to combat economic downturns including the Great Depression. Keynes explained the importance of investment in maintaining high employment levels and higher rewarding opportunities for middle class

Hoover was beginning to demonstrate conservative beliefs even before the onset of the Great Depression. Document A shows Hoover’s wish to avoid being thought of as a complete supporter of laissez-faire ideas. He appeared irresolute when it came to preserving the capitalistic society of the 1920s. During this time, society was managed by corrupt political bosses, such as Tweed. The American economy had flourished under the private interest policies of Harding and Coolidge, which forced Hoover to promise the American people that he would not abandon the laissez-faire economics, which had been so successful during past presidencies. Hoover was sure, however, that working class Americans would not be opposed to restricting unfair business practices. Documents B and C depict Hoover’s lack of support for private interest or public purpose policies. In these documents, Hoover stresses the significance of individual interests

(5) Fifth, In FDR’s view, the failure of the economic system came about partly because the ideal of rugged individualism was used as a cover to prevent needed government action. His believed the Depression had persuaded Americans to “alter their beliefs about the “rugged individual” thus minimizing their objections to a national program (Atkinson, 2006).

In the 1920’s, everything was going right for America’s economy. Unemployment was at a high and everyone was making money under Calvin Coolidge and Warren Harding. Business was doing even better under Herbert Hoover, but then eventually the stock market crashed. The thing that all of these presidents had in common was that they practiced Laissez-Faire economics. However, when the economy went downhill under Herbert Hoover’s term, he continued to not intervene in any businesses and let the economy plummet. The government wanted everyone to have money, but the government in the 1930’s was more interested in helping people get it.

Preceding the Great Depression, the United States went through a glorious age of prosperity, with a booming market, social changes, and urbanization; America was changing. At the end of the 1920’s and well through the 1930’s, America was faced with its greatest challenge yet; the 1929 stock market crash. It would be the end of the prosperity of the “Roaring Twenties”. Now the American government and its citizens were faced with a failing economy. President Herbert Hoover was clueless to how to approach the problem. Hoover believed that government works best when it governs less, and should not intervene in the economy. Traditionally, he stayed out the issue hoping that the economy would fix itself; it didn’t. Hoover’s inaction makes his presidency look ineffective as if he caused the Great Depression. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) succeeded Hoover as president. Like Hoover, FDR didn’t know exactly how to help the economy. Unlike Hoover, FDR introduced experimental ideas and programs to help solve the issue. These ideas and programs would become a part of Roosevelt 's policies known as the New Deal which sought to fix America’s economic struggles. Despite short term successes, the New Deal implemented during the 1930 's by FDR did not lift the United States out of the Great Depression. Instead by intervening in the economy, and creating huge debt, the New Deal prolonged the Great Depression.

The Great Depression is probably one of the most misunderstood events in American history. It is routinely cited, as proof that unregulated capitalism is not the best in the world, and that only a massive welfare state, huge amounts of economic regulation, and other interventions can save capitalism from itself. The Great Depression had important consequences and was a devastating event in America, however many good policies and programs became available as a result of the great depression, some of which exist even today.

In economics, some classical liberals believe that ‘’an unfettered market’’ is the most efficient mechanism to satisfy human needs and channel resources to their most productive uses. The minimal government advocacy of an ‘’unregulated free market’’ is founded on an ‘’assumption about individuals being rational, self-interested and methodical in the pursuit of their goals. Adam Smith was not an advocate of pure capitalism. Adam Smith allowed for many exceptions to a strictly free-market economy. The classical liberals advocated policies to increase liberty and prosperity. They sought to empower the commercial class politically. They abolish royal charters, monopolies and the protectionist policies of mercantilism to encourage

Since the beginning of time people have been affected by their income and ability to accumulate wealth. People live their lives spending or saving money based on their own expectations of what the economy might do. For hundreds of years we have studied how the economic decisions of individuals and governments affect the welfare of society as a whole. John Maynard Keynes introduced a new economic theory that emphasized deficit spending to help struggling economies recover. Keynesian economics revolutionized the traditional thinking in the science of economics. His ideas and theories were deemed radical for his time but were later enacted by some of the largest governments in the world including the United States during the Great Depression. President Franklin Roosevelt enacted the New Deal in an attempt to stimulate the economy through government spending. In this paper I will be giving background to the history economics, the Great Depression, the New Deal, the development of Keynesian Economics. This paper will focus on analyzing the following question: In an attempt to address high unemployment and economic contraction, was Roosevelt’s The New Deal efficacious in stimulating the economy and ending the Great Depression?