New Deal Programs
By Emersen Thomas
Introduction
The New Deal acts were put into action by FDR in an attempt to end the Great Depression. While it didn't end it, it did help to resolve the depression through relief, recovery, and reform. This was one of the first times the government stepped in to help the american people in hard times, raising such expectations of the government for all future presidents in office during an economic or general hardship.
Agricultural Adjustment Act
This act helped farmers by reducing the production of many staple crops to raise their prices. The value of crops increased when recently their value had dropped very low. The program paid farmers to plant less and kill any extra livestock on their farms.
Tennesse Valley Authority
TVA was the building of dams to generate electricity in the Tennessee River area. The area near the dam was hit very hard in the depression, and even today generates the largest amount of electricity in the country.
Civilian Conservation Corp
This program was extremely successful. It provided jobs for many young men who needed them. These men would go live in campsites, and work on public works construction and projects, building national parks, roads, and trails. The money these men made would be sent back to their families mostly to help support them.
Civil Works Administration
This 1934 deal provided public works jobs to about 4 million of the struggling and unemployed. These jobs were short-term and employed many typically unskilled workers for a good wage. The goal was really to just get people working again, and the public benefitted with improved city and travel structures.
National Recovery Administration
This bold act did a lot for the country following the Depression. The codes enacted by the NRA unified industries, set a minimum wage, maximum hours, and fair competition. It helped level businesses and kept a neutral ground, it didn't favor monopolies or small businesses.
Works Progress Administration
Initiated by Roosevelt, the WPA created 10 million jobs for the nations workers, and built hundreds of thousands of roads, bridges, public buildings, parks, and air runways. Electricity was expanded to more rural areas. This act encourage art by giving artists jobs to paint. The rundown urban areas were cleaned up.
Social Security Act
Roosevelt put the SSA into action using pensions, this gave a source of income to retired workers with money that has been saved over their careers and jobs. The handicapped and poor would also receive pensions in the form of welfare from the government.
Summary
The New Deal programs were set to help the country bounce back from the Great Depression. Each had a very specific purpose and was meant to help the people of the nation and the nation as a whole. The economy was able to recover a bit, and the programs had varying degrees of success. The New Deals help America come back from the Depression even if it didn't make a strong, full recovery.