New Deal Dbq Essay

The wealth during the 1920s left Americans unprepared for the economic depression they would face in the 1930s. The Great Depression occurred because of overproduction by farmers and factories, consumption of goods decreased, uneven distribution of wealth, and overexpansion of credit. Hoover was president when the depression first began, and he maintained the government’s laissez-faire attitude in the economy. However, after the election of FDR in 1932, his many alphabet soup programs in his first one hundred days in office addressed the nation’s need for change. Although Roosevelt’s administration was not very effective in immediately ending the Great Depression, it left a lasting effect on the role of the federal government by creating

Some people wanted less intervention in the government. The jobs and aid the government provided caused some to think of the New Deal as steps towards socialism and communism (Document B). A more intervening federal government had been established. The growth in bureaucracy and in spending were questionable (Document D). Employers especially thought the government began intervening too much. In their opinion, the employees were not employed in interstate commerce, so their wages had nothing to do with it either (Document F). They also thought that the government had no right to give workers the right to self-organize and break the law (Document G). The authority of the federal government expanded, and FDR was, in a sense, abusing the power he had. Roosevelt’s administration increased the role of the federal government in the economy. His New Deal programs were more successful in empowering the government than lightening the effect of the Depression. The programs created by the New Deal satisfied the needs of citizens, even though several thought Roosevelt was overstepping his power. Roosevelt’s administration was not very effective in ending the Great Depression, however, some of the programs did help relieve