Question

To what extent did the Great Depression catalyze important changes in Americans’ perceptions of themselves, their national identity, and the role of their government? What evidence of these shifts can you find in the politics and values of our own times?

Answer 1

The Great Depression caused a devastation in social indicators, led to a decline in income and employment, and caused a deflationary process. The population that experienced the Great Depression called for changes that reversed the precariousness of the conditions of reproduction of life in the USA.

The human being has in his nature the tendency to crowd and help one another in situations of risk and calamity. The Great Depression awakened in Americans a sense of frustration and hope of reversing the bad situation. This was reflective in the election of Franklin Rosevelt, who promised a recovery plan, not only economic, but also social - through specific social policies. For example, the concept and establishment of social security for the elderly emerged, an achievement that highlights the importance of state action in social public policies. Since then, public policy for social benefit has become a value of the State and the population, which now requires greater transparency and direction in public spending.