The New Deal's Emphasis on Relief

Each of the Three R's--reform, relief, and recovery--were all adequately addressed in the New Deal, however there was a clear emphasis on one of these, relief.  Once Roosevelt took office, he immediately began establishing certain policies and programs that he believed would result in the relief of the American people's struggles and hardships during the Great Depression (had a focus on issues concerning jobs, food, and money).  Roosevelt passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act, or the AAA, which relieved farmers who were overproducing their agricultural goods.  He did so by giving subsidies so they would kill their livestock and stop planting crops, this would allow the prices on the market to go up.  He also passed the 1933 Banking Act which reinstated trust in the American banking system by founding the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the FDIC.  He also established the Works Progress Administration, or the WPA, whose ambitious aim was to employ millions of unemployed (and fairly unskilled) citizens.  These people were given jobs in public works which helped the country, some of these jobs focused on things such as buildings and roads.  This offered relief to millions who were granted jobs and were again able to bring in a steady income.  These measures taken by Roosevelt's administration, as well as many others in the New Deal, came together to create a clear emphasis on the "R" of Relief.