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The New Deal measures involved government directly in economic areas that had never before been contemplated. The National Recovery Act involved steps toward a planned economy. The Works Progress Act invplved the Government into virtuly every area of the economy. Jobs were found for virtually every area of employment. There was also major steps made in Government social programs. The Tenessee Valley Authority sought to remake the physical ans social envirmoent of an entire area. These and other New Deal programs resulted in greatly increased spending and unbalanced budgets. This led to increasingly criticisms of Roosevelt's programs. He became, as a result, one ofthe most contriversial president's in American history. Before the New Deal, the American people had very very limited expectations. After the New Deal, Americans began expecting much more from the Federal Government. Each of the New Deal programs need to be evaluated on their own merits. Some such as the REA and CCC were clearly beneficial. Other agencies are more controversial. Many social reforms such as Social Security were clearly needed. Few will deny that greatly required relief programs were needed for those in need. And Government refulation of banks and the security indistry was clearly involved. But one question is to often ignored by liberal historians for which the New Deal is a virtual icon. Did the New Deal help end the Depression or did it actually prolong it. Often ignored is the fact that the Depression in other countries such as England and France, although the continuing Depression in Aneruca was a drag on other economies. New Deal defenders might argue that conservative and business interests were oposed to basic changes and unsettled by the more invasive government role. Support for labor in particular required adjustment on the part of industry. Some may argue that the oponets of the New Deal attemoted to sabatoge it. This is rather a streach because it would mean financial sames to themselves. But it surely would have affected the invesrment climate. New Deal critics argue that Government spending and defecit spending absorbed available credit and thus crowded out or made it more difficult for the private sector to recover. This is a very difficult issue which is still a matter of economic discussion. While President Roosevelt's motives were questioned at the time, I think it is clear that his goal and that of New Deal figures were humanitarian. But the question of whether they helped end or prolonged the Depression is a very important question.
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