The New Deal and Its Legacy

The New Deal remains at the center of the national debate concerning the role and function of government--a controversy that reflects increasingly deep divisions within the American body politic. In an attempt to clarify and reframe the underlying issues, the authors of this book examine the principles, political methods, institutions, and programs that came out of the New Deal and assess their consequences and implications for the future. In the opening chapter, Robert Eden reviews changing public assessments of the New Deal and the questions that remain most divisive. Subsequent authors address specific aspects of the New Deal itself, such as farm programs, and regulatory, bureaucractic, and administrative reforms. Others explore the controversial issues that Roosevelt's political philosophy and programs raised. Among these are constitutional questions, enlightened administration, the presidency, electoral realignment divisions and party politics, and the political significance of the welfare state. The concluding chapter discusses the New Deal legacy in today's Democratic party. Placing contemporary political issues in a broad, constructive framework, this book provides new perspectives on a pivotal episode in modern American history and gives us a deeper understanding of the political, economic, and constitutional challenges we currently face.