Was Roosevelt's New Deal Effective?
Was The New Deal Effective? It is often said that desperate times call for desperate measures, and when President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected in 1932, Americans were willing to try anything. In 1929 the stock market crashed and sent the country into what is known as the Great Depression. The effects were devastating in this prolonged economic crisis; people lost their jobs, many lost homes due to foreclosure, and millions were forced into poverty and starvation. Roosevelt responded to the crisis with the New Deal legislation and programs with the intention to provide immediate economic relief, leading to recovery and reform. Even though it can be argued that the New Deal was a failure because it did not completely end the Depression,
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Leaving the nation to work out its problems on its own would just be unacceptable. A key element in Roosevelt’s New Deal was agencies to create employment by carrying out public works. The largest public works project was the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which employed more than eight million people from 1935-1943. The purpose of the WPA was to provide people with jobs until the economy recovered from the Great Depression. A huge number of roads, buildings, schools, hospitals, and other public works were built. Roosevelt’s efforts changed the leadership tone, and inspired those in despair. Millions of people earned a living wage and self-respect, as they were able to contribute during the hard time because of the New Deal. Even though the New Deal did not solve the problem of unemployment completely, it simply made it not as …show more content…
This is the main reason why most people argue that the New Deal was a failure. Many say that the New Deal actually prolonged the Depression and made things worse than they would have been had no effort been made (Cole, Ohanian). Ones who attack the New Deal also claim the policies were short-term policies and that there was no long-term planning for the future (Shlaes). The New Deal changed the role of government today to be more involved in people’s lives. Roosevelt increased the President’s power. Those who disagree with the New Deal argue that it brought too much government intervention into the economy and people’s
Leaving the nation to work out its problems on its own would just be unacceptable. A key element in Roosevelt’s New Deal was agencies to create employment by carrying out public works. The largest public works project was the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which employed more than eight million people from 1935-1943. The purpose of the WPA was to provide people with jobs until the economy recovered from the Great Depression. A huge number of roads, buildings, schools, hospitals, and other public works were built. Roosevelt’s efforts changed the leadership tone, and inspired those in despair. Millions of people earned a living wage and self-respect, as they were able to contribute during the hard time because of the New Deal. Even though the New Deal did not solve the problem of unemployment completely, it simply made it not as …show more content…
This is the main reason why most people argue that the New Deal was a failure. Many say that the New Deal actually prolonged the Depression and made things worse than they would have been had no effort been made (Cole, Ohanian). Ones who attack the New Deal also claim the policies were short-term policies and that there was no long-term planning for the future (Shlaes). The New Deal changed the role of government today to be more involved in people’s lives. Roosevelt increased the President’s power. Those who disagree with the New Deal argue that it brought too much government intervention into the economy and people’s