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Question: What exactly was the new deal!?
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When the Great Depression, the government did not know how to react!. It was something new in the American experience!.

When running for President, Franklin Roosevelt promised the American people a "New Deal"!. It was not a specific plan or program!. It was really more or less a way of thinking!. Roosevelt would gather together the best economic minds in the country and try new ways to deal with the crisis!.

Within the first 100 days of his Presidency, Roosevelt proposed and got passed huge amounts of legislation to combat the effects of the great depression!.

Panicked people where drawing their money out of banks because they feared the banks would go under, but people drawing the money out was what caused the banks to go under!. Roosevelt declared a national bank holiday and then got the FDIC passed!. By insuring deposits, the people felt they could leave the money in the banks!. This in turn kept the banks going so very few insurance claims were filed!.

He created the Civlian Conservation Corps (CCC)!. Unemployed youth were taken off the streets and sent to the country to plant trees!.

The stock market was down because people did not trust it enough to invest!. Roosevelt created the SEC to regulate it!. People started investing again!.

The idea was to stabilize financial sector and get money circulating in the economy!. Money is like blood for the economy!. If it is not circulating, the patient dies!. America had huge financial resources!. It just that people and companies were too afraid to take risks!. They were hording what little they had which was killing the economy!.

New Deal programs were aimed at getting the money flowing again by removing or reducing the scariest risks!.

Not all the programs worked, but they would then try something!. Nothing was ruled out due to economic or political philosophy!. Many were ruled out because they were stupid, but ideas were examined objectively!. This is unlike today when politicians will throw out an idea not on its merits but because the ghost of Ronald Regan or Lyndon Johnson says they should!.

When something didn't work, Roosevelt would go on the radio and explain why!. By keeping people in the loop, he reduced their anxieties!. They felt they knew what was going on!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Kinda like what today's $700 billion bailout package is!.

Only FDR used the money in a massive building effort in America!.

Most of this years bailout money will go towards all the financial institutions!.Www@QuestionHome@Com