FDR & New Deal 101: How Much Do You Know?

The New Deal was built around three major goals: Relief, Recovery, and Reform. Relief meant providing immediate assistance to Americans suffering during the Great Depression. Recovery focused on restoring economic activity and employment. Reform sought to address weaknesses in the financial system and reduce the risk of another economic collapse.

Roosevelt’s administration pursued these goals through programs and laws that reshaped the federal government’s role in American economic life.

The Social Security Act of 1935 established a federal old-age benefits system and created a framework for unemployment compensation and assistance to certain vulnerable populations. Before Social Security, many older Americans had little reliable financial protection when they could no longer work.

Signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 14, 1935, the law became one of the most enduring achievements of the New Deal. It fundamentally changed the federal government’s role in providing economic security.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA), established in 1935 and renamed the Work Projects Administration in 1939, was one of the New Deal’s largest employment programs. Over its existence, it provided jobs to approximately 8.5 million Americans.

WPA workers constructed and improved roads, bridges, schools, parks, libraries, and other public facilities. The program also employed artists, writers, musicians, and actors through cultural projects.

Rather than relying exclusively on direct financial assistance, the WPA provided paid employment while creating public assets that benefited communities for generations.

During the Great Depression, thousands of American banks failed, and many depositors lost their savings. Fear of additional failures led people to withdraw their money, sometimes triggering bank runs.

The Banking Act of 1933 established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which began insuring deposits in 1934. By protecting eligible bank deposits up to specified limits, the FDIC helped restore confidence in the banking system and reduced the incentive for depositors to withdraw their savings during periods of uncertainty.

The FDIC remains a cornerstone of American financial stability today.

The National Labor Relations Act of 1935, commonly called the Wagner Act, established federal protections for most private-sector employees seeking to organize unions, bargain collectively, and engage in certain forms of concerted activity.

The law created the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to enforce these protections and address unfair labor practices.

Before the Wagner Act, employers frequently resisted union organizing through intimidation, dismissals, and other tactics. The law significantly strengthened organized labor’s legal position and helped reshape American labor relations.

Its protections have important exceptions, including agricultural workers, domestic workers, and certain other categories of employees.

In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) to help extend electric service to rural communities that private utilities had often considered too expensive to serve.

Through federal loans, particularly to rural electric cooperatives, the REA helped finance the construction of power lines and electrical infrastructure across the countryside.

In 1935, only about 10% of American farms had electricity. By 1950, approximately 90% had electric service.

Rural electrification transformed American agriculture and everyday life, making electric lighting, refrigeration, water pumps, and labor-saving equipment available to millions of rural residents.

Established in 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) provided employment to approximately 3 million young men during the Great Depression.

CCC workers planted billions of trees, built trails and recreational facilities, fought forest fires, and carried out soil conservation projects across the country.

The program combined employment relief with environmental conservation, leaving a legacy that remains visible in America’s parks and forests today.

The CCC also reflected the inequalities of its era. Women were largely excluded from the program, and racial discrimination and segregation affected many Black participants.

Signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 25, 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) established a federal minimum wage, overtime pay requirements for covered workers, and restrictions on oppressive child labor.

The original federal minimum wage was 25 cents per hour. The law also established a maximum workweek for covered employees, initially set at 44 hours and gradually reduced to 40 hours.

The FLSA represented a major shift in American labor policy by establishing nationwide minimum standards for wages and working conditions.

However, the original law excluded significant categories of workers, including many agricultural and domestic workers, disproportionately affecting Black Americans and women.

The FLSA remains the foundation of federal minimum wage and overtime protections today.

Following the stock market crash of 1929 and the onset of the Great Depression, investigations exposed widespread abuses in American securities markets, including misleading financial disclosures and market manipulation.

The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 established the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to oversee securities markets, enforce federal securities laws, and protect investors.

The SEC became an important part of the New Deal’s financial reforms, helping establish stronger standards of transparency and accountability on Wall Street.

Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., father of future President John F. Kennedy, served as the SEC’s first chairman.

The agency continues to regulate American securities markets today.

Signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 14, 1935, the Social Security Act established a federal system of old-age benefits that would become one of the most enduring achievements of the New Deal.

Before Social Security, many older Americans faced poverty when they could no longer work. The program created a foundation of retirement income protection for eligible workers.

Over time, Social Security expanded to include survivors’ benefits, disability insurance, and broader coverage.

Today, Social Security provides monthly benefits to millions of retired Americans, people with disabilities, and eligible family members.

Unlike many temporary New Deal employment programs, Social Security remains a central part of America’s economic safety net more than 90 years after its creation.