New Deal: Relief, Recovery, or Reform

Though it incorporated aspects of all three, the primary focus of the New Deal was that of Recovery. On the forefront of Roosevelt's mind was the belief that the most important aspect to the wellbeing of a country was a well functioning national economy. Achieving this, more than anything, was the purpose of the New Deal, more than immediate relief or long term reform. The means of the New Deal also reveals this focus. The alphabet agencies focused on creating jobs and structuring the economy, which could fit into any category, but they did it in a very specific way. Roosevelt balked at plans that put too much emphasis on pure relief. When creating the Public Works Administration(PWA) Roosevelt initially insisted that each infrastructure project created be economically sound on its own. Though eventually he softened on this, the amount funded fell short of what many called for. This went against the idea of a pure relief focus. Additionally, the alphabet agencies show reform could not have been the first goal of the New Deal. Although they did a lot of good for the American economy, many agencies were implemented hastily and traded administrative efficiency for multiple approaches and sheer amount of resources given to the American people. The New Deal relied on a combination of relief, recovery, and reform to help the American people, but when put in conflict with one another, it becomes obvious that Roosevelt placed the highest recovery on recovery.