FDR and The New Deal

Lockdown lecture in American Series for Monday 8 January

SYNOPSIS

• The Thirties and The Depression Years

• Not solely an American crisis

• President Hoover's reluctance to act

• When Hoover did act it was largely ineffectual

• Hoover loses 1932 Presidential Election to his rival FDR

• Roosevelt's 100 Days of Federal intervention

• Were these measures effective or did FDR's strength lie in his ability to connect with ordinary people and to provide hope?

• Continuing Reforms

• Big Government v Small Government. An ongoing debate

• Resonances for today's America

• FDR's historical conclusion at end of the decade

A reading suggestion: The Great Depression and The New Deal by Eric Rauchway (Oxford)