Background
"By the end of his first term in office Franklin Roosevelt had expanded the role of government in peoples lives, and in doing so, had permanently altered their assumptions about what government could and should do to protect them against economic adversity."
- Richard Polenberg,2000
Polenberg,Richard "The Era of Franklin D. Roosevelt"; 1933-1945, Boston, Bedford St Martains, 2000
- Richard Polenberg,2000
Polenberg,Richard "The Era of Franklin D. Roosevelt"; 1933-1945, Boston, Bedford St Martains, 2000
Throughout Roosevelt’s presidency he knew that the country needed to change in order to survive. When Roosevelt was elected our 32nd president in 1932 by seven million votes, about one third of the workforce was unemployed. The economy had worsened immensely in the months following his inaugural address. In order to keep our economy alive, he had to make controversial decisions that was criticized harshly. His policies and plans included the government being involved directly with decisions usually made by the people. This “New Deal” was criticized mainly by members of his own social class. They claimed his taxing of the wealthy would “tread on the toes of the few while the majority benefited.” He began passing policies that were directed towards the unemployed and people suffering financially all across America. He decided to take immediate actions to initiate new deal programs. During the “1st 100 days” he worked with a special session of congress to pass recovery legislation. Roosevelt's quick actions in congress and knowledge of what the nation needed to survive revived the confidence of the economy. His brave decision to ignore protocol changed how we see issues forever.
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"So, what would a world without the New Deal look like? It would be a fight for economic survival with no coordinated effort at recovery. The New Deal shifted responsibility for social welfare and economic development from city halls and state capitols to Washington." |