PFRDA

Is it time for a Roosevelt style New Deal in Order to save this country?

Franklin D. Roosevelt's program was known as the New Deal. Under it, the federal government took far more responsibility for the economic welfare of the people than it had in any previous administration. One amendment to the Constitution was passed—the 21st (1933), which repealed the 18th (Prohibition) Amendment. Relief Measures The nation's economic system was almost at a standstill when Roosevelt became President on March 4, 1933. Nearly every state government had declared a banking holiday, or moratorium, to prevent depositors from withdrawing all their funds and ruining the banks. Roosevelt declared a four-day national banking holiday. He then obtained, in one day, legislation from Congress that permitted reopening of most banks under certification by the federal government that they were sound. Later banking reforms included insuring of deposits through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The New Deal provided large sums of federal money for direct payments to needy citizens through grants (rather than loans) to the states. It also established various new agencies to provide government-sponsored work for the unemployed. Through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) special projects were devised to provide employment for skilled and unskilled labor and for such persons as writers, artists, actors, and musicians. A vast program of public works—the construction of public buildings, highways, dams, and similar projects—was begun under the Public Works Administration (PWA). Young men were employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to work on conservation projects. A basic goal of the New Deal was to raise both wages and prices, which had dropped lower and lower as the depression continued. The National Industrial Recovery Act called for the cooperation of labor and management in setting prices, minimum wages, and working hours within various industries. The act also gave workers the right to join unions without interference from employers. To increase the income of farmers, the Agricultural Adjustment Act was passed. It included provisions for paying farmers to reduce the acreage of certain crops and to limit livestock holdings. These measures were intended to reduce surpluses, which caused low prices. Both the National Industrial Recovery Act and the Agricultural Adjustment Act later were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. However, the right of workers to organize was reinforced by the National Labor Relations Act (1935), the constitutionality of which was upheld by the court. Later legislation restored other gains for labor that originally had been part of the Recovery Act. A revised Agricultural Adjustment Act, passed in 1938, retained the basic provisions of the farm relief program and was later sustained by the Supreme Court. Other New Deal Programs Along with its relief program, the New Deal enacted various measures for the reform of business practices, many of which resulted in increasing the scope of government activity. The Tennessee Valley Authority was created in 1933. The Securities and Exchange Commission was established to regulate the stock market. The Social Security Act of 1935 provided for unemployment insurance and old-age pensions. In 1936 Roosevelt was reelected, carrying every state except Maine and Vermont against the Republican candidate, Alfred M. Landon. During Roosevelt's second term, the United States Housing Authority was established to advance funds to cities for replacing slums with low-rental housing projects for low-income families. In 1937, in order to get a Supreme Court more receptive to his policies, Roosevelt asked Congress to enact legislation increasing the number of justices. He was accused of trying to "pack" the court and the plan was defeated. However, the court eventually became more sympathetic toward the New Deal. In 1940 Roosevelt sought election to an unprecedented third term—no President had ever served more than two terms. He went on to defeat Republican candidate Wendell Willkie.By 1940, the New Deal crusade for economic reform had all but ended. War in Europe and Japanese aggression in Asia caused the Roosevelt administration to shift its main attention to foreign policy and national defense. In September Congress authorized the first peacetime military draft in the nation's history. In October, 16,300,000 men registered and the draft began soon afterwards. Because of the New Dael My Grandfather went to school as an Electrician He wired Hoover Damn Later in life he managed a Power plant here in the South West My other Grand Father became a Fireman and later a Fire chief Both were strong Union Men Because Obama and Democrats pandered too much to the right the recovery act did not work as well and was not nearly enough .

Public Comments

1. .
2. If your definition of saving the country is destroying it, then yes. Otherwise, hell no.
3. Yes, That would be an excellent idea.
4. It was called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and it failed miserably.
5. It's time for you to get off your ass and get a job
6. We need to be saved FROM the New Deal.
7. No, it didn't work then, and it wouldn't work now
8. yes, the new deal was fantastic. let's see here, the depression started in 29, under hoover. he, contrary to liberal scum mythology, immediately sprang into action with a bunch of federal government bullshit. this seemingly didn't work. so, in 1932, banker progeny FDR comes into office. new deal starts shortly thereafter. america was not officially out of the depression until after WWII had ended. let's see, the stock market crashed in 1929 and america was back to normal (relative) by 1945. the proto-New Deal and the regular New Deal really were just fantastic. the market crashed in 29 and it only took the government 16 years to fix it. pheww.
9. The new deal didn't save the country.
10. Like the last one did so well. It is now destroying this country
11. We already had a Roosevelt style new deal. Don't you remember Obama's so called " stimulus plan " that cost us close to a trillion dollars and did absolutely nothing ?
12. The new Deal was nothing compared to the stimulus. The Obama administration spends a far larger portion of our national economy than did the Roosevelt administration (before World War II). The New Deal in no way, shape or form got our nation out of an economic Depression. The only way to quickly get over a large recession or Depression is to let the market do its thing. There was a Depression following Woodrow Wilson, yet nothing was done about it and it was over quickly. The "Great Recession" was over in the summer of 2009, before any stimulus at all. We have toyed around and messed things up, just like Hoover did.
13. Yes, absolutely, only something as creative can save this country. To do that, however, we must give back Democrats the House with a margin of at least 62 votes and let them keep the Senate control with an increased number (60) and reelect President Obama. We can pay for it simply by having all income subject to social security, with no ceiling as presently exists.
14. No. That's one of the things that started this mess.
15. Because of the New deal, the U.S. didn't begin to recover for almost a decade after the rest of the World did. Because of the New Deal, even with LIMITLESS deficit spending available, we were UNABLE to produce to meet our war needs. Our recovery began AFTER key New Deal provisions were grudgingly ENDED.
16. Blue, you see too much good in everyday man and not enough in the manipulators. Nice to have union family -- when unions were a good thing. You fail to perceive how unions are massively bankrupting government these days. The days of being one-of-many on a team are over, along with the good will. Now unions are a mechanism to allow unqualified / defective / incompetent workers to be protected, and pensions and benefits owed outweigh their benefit. Stimulus. Didn't work because too much money went to state and local governments, who used it to buffer their budgets and protect their union workers.
17. You are Witnessing, first hand, the Fruition of New Deal Policies, and you want to do it all over again? WOW!
18. If you actually impartially researched this, instead of copying from a biased source, you would know that FDR's policies deepened and lengthened the depression. I am sure this does not square with your biased view. Funny how Obama supporters keep saying the stimulus wasn't big enough. Be careful what you wish for because if he gets his way we will be digging into a much bigger mess. ADD: What amount of stimulus would be enough. Perhaps we can take 100% from the rich, oh but then we would have less jobs, less merchandise sold and so on.
19. It's never time for Communism. The Cold War proved that. The only way Communism can be successful is to oppress those who are smarter and better able to achieve than others, and tax them into oblivion.