New Deal Begins explores President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's ambitious policies during the crucial first year of his presidency in 1933, amidst the Great Depression.
It examines the initial impact of the New Deal's relief programs, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), and their role in shaping American history.
The book objectively assesses whether these programs achieved their goals of alleviating unemployment and stimulating economic recovery, and how they altered the relationship between the government and its citizens.
Government reports from the Roosevelt administration are used to provide a contemporary perspective on the programs' effectiveness.
The book argues that while the New Deal provided immediate assistance, it also fundamentally changed the role of government in American society, setting a precedent for future intervention in the economy and individual lives.
It begins by depicting pre-New Deal America and then progresses to detailed analyses of key relief programs established in 1933.
The book avoids retrospective interpretations, prioritizing contemporary data to offer an objective assessment, and concludes with a discussion of the New Deal's lasting legacy and relevance to modern debates about government intervention and social welfare.
