What was the Great Depression characterized by?

Answer 1

The major effect of the Great Depression on America was expanded government intervention into new areas of social and economic affairs and the creation of more social assistance agencies at the national level. The relationship between the national government and the people changed drastically. The government took on a greater role in the everyday social and economic lives of the people. The New Deal programs of FDR also created a liberal political alliance made up of labor unions, blacks and other ethnic and religious minorities, intellectuals, the poor, and some farmers. These groups became the backbone of the Democratic Party for decades following the Depression. Many Americans, in both rural and urban areas of the nation, did support the efforts of the New Deal. FDR’s Fireside Chats provided confidence and reassurance to many. Rural electrification, Social Security, insurance of bank accounts, protection for labor unions, and federal controls over the economy gave many a sense of security in the future and in the government. While there were some radical movements during the Great Depression, the faith Americans had in their system of government did not falter. The Great Depression and the New Deal measure led to the domestic programs of JFK’s New Frontier, and LBJ’s Great Society and War on Poverty. The New Deal measures have also an influence on the current Obama administration, in its attempts to stimulate the economy.