The New Deal: Franklin D. Roosevelt's Solution to the Great Depression

After the unsatisfying leadership of President Hoover, America was ready for a change. More specifically, Americans wanted a president who was willing to experiment, who would bring the federal government back into the economy, and who was less absent than Hoover. It just so happens that the Democratic candidate was Franklin Delano Roosevelt-a man with all of these qualities. During his time in the White House, F.D.R. used the New Deal to restore American self-confidence, help prop up the economy, establish social welfare measures, and touch every aspect of American life.

Roosevelt was truly a breath of fresh air after the distant Hoover. He was flexible with his leadership, approachable to the American public, and, most importantly, willing to experiment. Also, the grab-bag of different people who made up his cabinet illustrate just how important fresh ideas were to F.D.R. He even went as far as to rely on professors from Columbia University, who made up his "brain trust," for innovative solutions to his problems.

The first problem Franklin Roosevelt took on was the banking crisis. To solve the crisis, his administration proposed over 15 pieces of legislation which were then passed by congress. Furthermore, the federal government finally provided direct relief and federally funded jobs to the needy. However, not everyone was in support of Roosevelt's New Deal. Some of the legislation passed during the Hundred Days-the time in which the executive branch proposed a multitude of bills to congress-was deemed unconstitutional by the still conservative Supreme Court. Furthermore, many wealthy businessmen saw F.D.R. as a traitor. As Roosevelt implemented his plans to fix the Depression, his support began to decline.

After facing some strong opposition to his New Deal, Franklin Delano Roosevelt broadened his plans with the 1936 election in mind. He proposed legislation that prevented employers from interfering with unions, introduced federal pensions and unemployment insurance, and increased the tax burden of the wealthy to help support the poor.

After implementing these ideas, Roosevelt gained back much of the support that he had lost earlier. In addition, those who benefited from F.D.R.'s reforms joined in his support. Furthermore, Huey Long, the only third party that could pose a threat to Roosevelt's reelection, was assassinated. These factors helped in paving the road to a Democratic victory in 1936.

With victory firmly in place, Roosevelt felt it was necessary to ensure that his reforms would remain effective for years to come. To accomplish this, he tried to restructure the Supreme Court. More specifically, he wanted to add a new justice for each justice to reach the age of seventy. Naturally, this was strongly opposed by many people, but eventually became an irrelevant point.

Roosevelt then turned to back to the executive branch, with intentions of drastically expanding its power. Contrary to congressional opposition, he successfully expanded executive power in appointing executive employees and managing budgets. However, by 1938-or 1843 according to Franklin Roosevelt-the New Deal finally waned into nonexistence.

The New Deal had a very important impact on American society: it brought the federal government into the everyday lives of Americans. Its intervention on behalf of workers led to a dramatic increase in unionization. Even blacks and women could become involved in these unions.

Women also became involved in the government. Eleanor Roosevelt pushed her husband to improve the conditions of women and, consequently, he appointed the first female Supreme Court Justice. The New Deal also benefited blacks, Mexican Americans, and Indians.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal also benefited the American landscape. To control erosion and generate hydroelectricity, he built numerous dams; to curb the dust bowl, he planted rows of trees; and to make the wilderness more accessible, he built scenic highways and added trails and shelters to many wilderness areas.

American fine arts were benefited just as much as nature. The Federal Music Project sponsored many orchestras which toured the country while the Federal Writers Project employed roughly 5,000 writers. Many of these writers later went on to achieve fame on their own.

Perhaps the most important way that the New Deal influenced American life is through modern social welfare. The government was determined to have measures in place to protect America against more economic instability. However, there were still several holes in this safety net. For instance, it was reliant on men being the breadwinners and women being the homemakers.

After the overall success of the New Deal, many of the people groups that benefited from Roosevelt's improvements joined the Democratic Party. Consequently, Democrats became the dominant party for years to come. This dominance did not last, though, and the balance of power remained dynamic.

"Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Supreme Court" Alfred Haines Cope and Fred Krinsky "New Deal Thought" Zinn, Howard "The New Deal and American Politics" John Allswang