what was the new deal 
the new deal was a comprehensive and broad set of government directed projects introduced by president franklin delano roosevelt in an attempt to help the united states economy emerge from the great depression it launched in the early 1930s and was designed to bolster the united states economy reduce unemployment provide a social safety net and instill confidence in the government s ability to protect its citizens understanding the new dealthe stock market crash of 1929 began on october 24 a day known as black thursday it brought a period of roaring growth to a sudden halt 1 companies and banks across the united states started failing and the unemployment rate skyrocketed to an almost 200 increase by 1930 23president franklin roosevelt launched the new deal after taking office in 1933 it consisted of a variety of government funded programs aimed at getting people back to work as well as legislation and executive orders that propped up farmers and stimulated business activity 4the new deal engendered controversy by introducing a number of radical reforms and increasing the government s role in guiding the economy several of its programs were ultimately declared unconstitutional by the u s supreme court including two major pillars the national recovery administration nra which set working conditions minimum wages and maximum hours while guaranteeing the right of labor to bargain collectively and the agricultural adjustment administration aaa which intended to stabilize farm prices 56public opinion was for the new deal though and as a result in february of 1937 roosevelt tried to increase the number of supreme court justices in order to prevent future programs from being shuttered 7 though he failed in this court packing attempt he succeeded in his objective in may 1937 the supreme court declared the social security act to be constitutional by a five to four vote after one of its justices changed his anti new deal stance no other new deal program was ever again judicially invalidated by the court 8the new deal was enacted in two parts the first in 1933 and the second in 1935 9history of the new dealthe new deal is often broken into two segments the first new deal was launched in 1933 during the initial two years of the roosevelt presidency in addition to the nra and aaa it consisted of measures to stabilize the banking system emergency banking act ensure bank deposit security banking act of 1933 known as the glass steagall act and increase confidence in the stock market securities act of 1933 the second new deal in 1935 introduced perhaps the program s greatest and most enduring legacy government sponsored retirement plans in the form of social security it also increased government employment works progress administration and minimum wages fair labor standards act 10was the new deal a success historians credit the new deal with some success in reviving the country s fortunes the economy did slowly recover during the 1930s confidence was restored to the banking system through federal deposit insurance working conditions were improved and labor unions strengthened the hand of workers it was world war ii however that ultimately provided the impetus to get america fully back to work the unprecedented spending worldwide on ships arms and planes propelled the country into full employment a feat that the new deal programs despite their best efforts were unable to achieve on their own 