The New Deal, the Depression, and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

David M. Kennedy’s essay, “FDR: Advocate for the American People” and Robert Higgs essay, “FDR: opportunistic Architect of Big Government” discuss Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the New Deal policy. Their view points are different. David Kennedy describes FDR as a powerful leader, whereas Robert Higgs purely expresses on his distaste for the president. Kennedy is more convincing because he used hard core evidence and thoroughly explains the New deal and its results.

In 1932, the American People wanted an economic change so they elected a new leader, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He won the election of 1932 against Herbert Hoover and began implementing the New Deal. The New Deal was Roosevelt’s first phase in his “try something” philosophy. (Higgs, 220). Roosevelt’s New Deal had three aims: recovery from the depression, relief for its victims, and the reform of the economic system. “ The New Deal established the first federal minimum wage, the first government system of unemployment compensation, the first system of old age pensions(social security), the first protections for labor unions, the first regulatory agency for the stocks and bonds( the Securities and Exchange commission) and host of other institutions” (Hoffman and GJerde, 193). The New Deal, rewrote the role of the government which held them responsible for the health of the economy and the general social welfare. The provided those less fortunate with hospitals, roads, schools, and financial stability because it gave over two million people with jobs. “Unemployment and its close companion, reduced wages, and were the most obvious and the most wounding of all the Depression effects.” (Kennedy, 212) Over nine million civilians were still without jobs. The New Deal saved capitalism, which is an economic system of free enterprise.

Kennedy’s essay was based on facts and figure, whereas Higgs essay was merely an opinion. Kennedy uses for example when he discusses facts to explain how in March 1933 the Crash of the stock market wiped out some $7 billion in depositors’ money (Kennedy, 211). Also, on America’s farms, income had fallen drastically from $6 billion to $2 million in 1932 (Kennedy, 211). Higgs was very opinionated with his essay about the New Deal. For example Higgs describes the New Deal