I agree with the statement: “The most important thing to understand the New Deal is the major and successful transformation of the state (national government) by the Roosevelt Administration and other reformers like Senator Wagner.”
The New Deal brought about the development of bodies that ensured the well-being of public workers. The Public Works Administration (PWA) was among the agencies that were formed during the New Deal period. Wright notes that it was formed during the initial stages of the New Deal under the National Recovering Act (58). This led to the improvement of the way of living of the majority. For instance, it led to the reduction of the cost of housing an aspect that helped in doing away with urban slums. Infrastructure also improved a great deal. This was characterized by the construction of modern highways, hospitals, schools, administrative buildings, sewage and water systems as well as courthouses. Additionally, the U.S. developed two huge hydroelectric projects that enhanced the distribution of electricity in many parts of the nation (Ibid).
Another body that was developed under the New Deal to cater for the economic development of the nation was the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It was “launched in 1935 as the leading federal work-relief agency” (Wright 59). Although it lasted for less than a decade, it had some of the profound impacts in the development of the transport sector across the nation. It facilitated the construction as well as the maintenance of 1, 138 bridges, 11, 699 culverts and over ten thousand miles of highways and streets in the state of California (Ibid). Some of these projects especially the construction of highways had began prior to the Great Depression. Owing to the economic impact of the Great Depression on the state, the project became stagnant until the realization of the New Deal. The development in infrastructure under the WPA was also witnessed in other states e.g. Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas and Florida among others. This was a clear indication that the New Deal was functional and focused on improving the economic state of the nation despite the political influences of the time.
As aforementioned, the two hydroelectric projects were necessitated by the New Deal. Upon their completion, they enhanced the electrification of most parts of the region. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which was created under the New Deal electric program, played a pivotal role in the distribution of electricity to homes, farms as well as industries (Wright 60). It had to undertake several other projects to ensure the realization of the New Deal goals as far as electrification is concerned. For instance, it completed seven major dams and subsidized loans for rural electricity service to ensure that the majority had power supply. This had a great impact in the electrification of the households as Wright notes that “By 1945, 75% of households in the valley were electrified, compared to just 2% in 1933” (Ibid).
The development of infrastructure had a major impact on the economic development of the nation. The expansion of the roads led to tremendous growth of the business sector in most regions of the nation. It provided a quick means for the transportation of goods, especially agricultural produce, from the point of production to the market. Additionally, the roads helped in the diversification of the market as the producers could access different markets, which they were unable to access prior to the realization of the New Deal. The electrification of the nation also played a pivotal role in the nation. It helped in enhancing the shelf life of perishable farm products through refrigeration. Additionally, it powered communication gadgets such as radio. People acquired radios thus could stay connected to the rest of the world. Moreover, the different projects generated jobs for the unemployed in the community. Owing to the fact that most American were unemployed prior to the 1930s (Social Security Online 6), the development of new industries also played a pivotal role in creating employment for many people in the nation.
The New Deal led to the formation of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). It was a public relief program that sought to restore the natural resources that had been lost due to the exploitation of the natural resources via human activity. Working for the departments of Agriculture and Interior, its highest priority was reforestation. Although it collapsed in 1942, it managed to spearhead the project that led to the planting of trees in over one million acres in the Southern region of the nation (Wright 62). The Soil Erosion Service also played a pivotal role in the realization of this goal. It was established in 1933 (Wright 63). Its primary role was to educate farmers on good farming practices to ensure that soil erosion was minimized. Within three years of their service, the agency had educated 90% of farmers within a 25-mile radius.
Another important pillar of the New Deal was the improvement of public health services through the provision of proper sanitation and health facilities. The New Deal agencies that were responsible for this development were the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), which served from 1933 to 1935 and PWA (1936-1939). FERA played a pivotal role in the augmentation of the income of the households. PWA ensured that the states had good sanitation systems to prevent the outbreak of diseases that are associated with poor sanitation facilities.
The New Deal also brought about a new labor policy-the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) or the Wagner Act. It became a law in 1935 during the tenure of Roosevelt (Anonymous 1299). Senator Wagner had proposed and pushed for the adoption of the Bill into a law-thus that term ‘Wagner Act’. It brought to an end the antiunion policies that deprived the workers of their rights. It led to the realization of social security programs including state old age pensions. It ensured that employers did not oppress the employees in the industries. This is one of the most defining aspects as far as the labor history is concerned.
The New Deal period was one in which the state was autonomous from societal influences. Pluralists, elite and corporate liberal theorists, diverse types of Marxists are not justified to claim that the period was characterized by the influence of external parties on the operations of the government. One of the developments that can be used to explain this fact is the electrification process. Prior to the New Deal, electricity was available only that due to capitalism and the influence of politicians, it did not spread as it did in the 1930s. Only the private sector and the few powerful people, most of them politicians, had electricity in their homes. However, the electrification projects as necessitated by the New Deal were projected to all the homes at a subsidized price. The increase in percentage of the households that had electricity increased significantly. This could not have occurred if the project had faced some external influence.
The labor legislation or rather reforms also signify the autonomous nature of the New Deal period. Its adoption in the American government as well as its implementation was not determined by the any interest group or a political party. Additionally, President Roosevelt did not play a leading role in the formulation of the Bill. Against the belief of many plurarists who believe that societal movements influenced the New Deal, Historians have shown that such groups were not active as they had been weakened by the impacts of the Great Depression. The society needed some reforms and it was the role of the government to ensure that the poverty-stricken community was restored. Autonomous state structures existed even during the tenure of Senator Wagner, one of the major reformers in the history of the nation. He played a pivotal role in mobilizing the resources required for the reforms. The political and regulatory failure of the National Recovery Administration (NRA) also enhanced the autonomous nature of the New Deal economic developments/reforms (Godfield 1260).
The major limits of the reformers ability were two. One of them was the reception or rather acceptance of the reform agenda by the majority both in the legislature and the public as well. Secondly, the availability of resources was also a major aspect concerning the success of the reforms. The reforms were tailored to fit in the budgetary allocations i.e. economic power of the nation. There were no other changes in the 1930s that I see as more significant.
Works Cited
Anonymous. Explaining New Deal Labor Policy. American Political Science Review 84. 4
(1990): 1299-1318. Print.
Goldfield, Michael. Work Insurgency, Radical Organization, and New Deal Labor Legislation.
American Political Science Review 83. 4 (1989): 1257-1283. Print.
Social Security Online. Historical Background and Development of Social Security. N.d. Print.
Wright, Gavin. The New Deal and the Modernization of the South. Federal History (2010): 58-
70.
