A Study Of FDR's New Deal: Public Welfare Development

The New Deal was a remarkable chapter in American history, not only politically and economically but also ideologically. The Roosevelt Administration endeavored to pull the nation out of the Great Depression by implementing a series of measures, including public welfare programs. To a great extent, these creative programs helped protect the economic rights of lower classes, maintain social stability and in times of social upheavals, ushered in a new stage in American public welfare system.As a result, FDR's New Deal has long been a scholarly topic. However, to date, most academic studies aim to examine its overall impact on American politics, economics and capitalist-labor relations with discussion covering programs on finance, industry, agriculture, administration and legislature. As a result, there are few studies specifically on the implications of public welfare measures in FDR's New Deal.Currently, Chinese scholars generally place their focus on the New Deal's political (presidency and presidential power), economic (federal intervention) and ideological (Communist idea, measures to mitigate class confliction) dimensions. Some of the most prominent studies on public welfare programs are The Social Welfare Policy in U. S. by Huang Annian and Development of American Social Welfare System by Niu Wenguang. Because these two books concentrate on the description of the history and status quo of American social welfare programs, although they examine the significance of these measures on the social welfare system in modern American, there is a want of in-depth analyses of how they influence American society politically, economically and ideologically.Therefore, this thesis concentrates on examining measures concerning social welfare for lower classes, particularly their effects on blacks and women. By discussing the breakthroughs, implementation, and influences of public welfare measures carried out by the New Deal, this thesis endeavors to demonstrate that despite their deficiencies, the public welfare programs of the New Deal were necessary and appropriate responses to the economic situations the nation was facing.