Do you think Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" was a success or a failure?

Question

I'm at a toss up. I can't really lean toward any one side. FDR created some really good programs under the New Deal that helped millions of people. But ultimately, they didnt accomplish what they wanted to do with the new deal.
What are your thoughts??

Answer 1

success

Answer 2

It was a failure at reviving the economy. Capitalism requires war to function well. However, once WW2 got going, the economy revived. It was a success at co-opting the labor movement and robbing political support from the left. Communist groups, including the Communist Party, the Socialist Labor Party, and the Trotskyists, were gaining in support all over the country because workers and farmers thought, correctly I believe, that the capitalist government didn't care about them. The public appeal effect of Roosevelt's programs was to undercut that growing support and direct disgruntled people back into supporting the system. FDR rescued capitalism in the U.S from what many observers at the time thought was an inevitable revolution.

Answer 3

President Roosevelt's New Deal was not really the definition of success. Many believe that it is what got America out of the Great Depression, but really, it was World War 2. The war brought out the need for jobs, in factories, etc. and even in the war. Many jobs were made, and thus, unemployment ended.

His New Deal created many programs to help "ease" the Depression, but if you look at a graph comparing unemployment rates in the 30's, you can see that they still were at an all time high. Some of his programs included Youth Workers Association, Economy Acts, Bank Acts, Farm Acts, etc. Although they did not end the depression, guess what? they helped create bridges, schools, roads, set up precedents for banks and the general economy, cleared out bad land, etc but most importantly set up safeguards so a Great Depression could never happen again.

So, yes, I think it was a success in some sense, a failure in another( as it didn't end the depression, but eased it), but this does not deter my belief that FDR was one of the greatest presidents.

Answer 4

If you look at the strict economic data, you can clearly see that Roosevelt did absolutely NOTHING to get us out of the depression with his domestic policies. In fact, they have destroyed millions of lives in the last 70 years and has engendered in a portion of Americans an ANTI-American idea that they are OWED something by the government.

Look back at America's history and you will see a history replete with the independence of the average American citizen, with govt, any govt(city, state, fed) having little or no impact on his life.

Look at the terrible things that have come out of FDR's programs; Social security(never gonna see a dime out of 25 years, so far, of donating my pay to SSA); medicare/medicaid(illegal aliens crossing the border using our money for health services then staying here, all the while actual citizens with need for medicare are not able to be treated, not to mention the trillions of dollars of fraud)

FDR TOUTED individualism in his speeches, but worked on subverting American individualism in favor of socialist principles for America and now the democratic party glorifies FDR as a having been a great leader, when he did nothing to get the US out of the Depression. Why is the far left wing willing to call FDR a hero? Not because he was a great man, but because he brought America closer to their communist beliefs, the left of the democratic party could be called TIBET, since it is left of Red China.

whale

Answer 5

At first it was a success, it got people working, the economy going, and it was supposed to help those in need for the future. The problem was it was to be temporary but was taken for too many years and abused and morphed into something for which it was not intended. That is the downfall to social programs. It's intent was good, the end results were bad. For example, look at public housing. It was first intended for a good specific purpose then changed into something much worse. Look at the result. I'm sure if the powers that be that created these programs were to see how they have evolved, they would be horrified.

Answer 6

People say the New Deal worked because they love to glorify FDR. The War got us out of the Depression.

Answer 7

Even though the New Deal didn't move like a high powered train through the Great Depression it did what it could. Not completly killing the debts and set-backs of most people but also not doing anything at all. FDR did his best and he did more for the American people than they could do for themselves.

Answer 8

I belive the new deal was one faliure after another it taxed people who were trying to build the economy (for the first time ever when the country wasn't at war) and was mistaken as a sucess because the war created real jobs not made up fake ones.

Answer 9

He put a lot of people to work who really needed it (my uncle was one). However, I have always read that WW2 is what really got us out of the Depression. I still consider FDR the best president of the 20th century.