1914-1939 Government Policy Analysis

During the period 1914 to 1939, the United States went through many events, including WWI, the Great Depression, the growth of federal power, and technological revolution. All of these events had a great influence on the lives of American workers. However, the government policy might be the most influential factor that changed or contributed to American workers.

The government policy benefited workers’ working conditions and the quality of life. During 1914 to 1939, the outcomes of strikes and labor movement changed as the government’s attitude to unions and labors varied. When policies are in favor of unions, it was easier for workers to get what they want. Instead of resisting these strikes, the government understood their life situations

Although the economy prospered during the period of WWI and the twenties, the gap between the rich and the poor also aggravated. When the profits of employers doubled, workers’ wages slightly grew. From 1923 to 1929, “wages advanced modestly of at all in big manufacturing sectors such as steel, meatpacking, agricultural implements, and the clothing industry, particularly for the unskilled and semiskilled workers who predominated in this kind of jobs” (SR 123). Because of the inflation in the economy, the inequality in income made the unskilled and semiskilled workers a worse life. At the same time, the problem of unemployment also existed. Actually, unemployment remained high in the twenties. Although the government had policies to take income tax in order to balance the income between the rich and the poor, the actual income of the big companies were much more than what they pay for tax. The effort made by government did not help workers effectively. After the Great Depression, the New Deal programs benefited people who suffered from inequality a lot. As Franklin D. Roosevelt declared in his inaugural address, “through this program of action, we address ourselves to putting our own national house in order and making income balance outgo” and the main purpose was to “put people to work” (SR 226). The government redistributed the land for farmers and open more jobs for the unemployed people. Emergency work relief programs bring more than ten million people jobs and made the African American able to get the same wages as the white Americans. Moreover, the minor population had more opportunities to have jobs. The New Deal programs benefited the lives of American workers fundamentally, since it brought them jobs and equal