The New Deal: Franklin D. Roosevelt's Solution to the Great Depression

After the unsatisfying leadership of President Hoover, America was ready for a change. More specifically, Americans wanted a president who was willing to experiment, who would bring the federal government back into the economy, and who was less absent than Hoover. It just so happens that the Democratic candidate was Franklin Delano Roosevelt—a man with all of these qualities. During his time in the White House, F.D.R. used the New Deal to restore American self-confidence, help prop up the economy, establish social welfare measures, and touch every aspect of American life. 

Roosevelt was truly a breath of fresh air after the distant Hoover. He was flexible with his leadership, approachable to the American public, and, most importantly, willing to experiment. Also, the grab-bag of different people who made up his cabinet illustrate just how important fresh ideas were to F.D.R. He even went as far as to rely on professors from Columbia University, who made up his “brain trust,” for innovative solutions to his problems. 

The first problem Franklin Roosevelt took on was the banking crisis. To solve the crisis, his administration proposed over 15 pieces of legislation which were then passed by congress. Furthermore, the federal government finally provided direct relief and federally funded jobs to the needy. However, not everyone was in support of Roosevelt’s New Deal. Some of the legislation passed during the Hundred Days—the time in which the executive branch proposed a multitude of bills to congress—was deemed unconstitutional by the still conservative Supreme Court. Furthermore, many wealthy businessmen saw F.D.R. as a traitor. As Roosevelt implemented his plans to fix the Depression, his support began to decline.