Question

Some historians have seen the New Deal as a natural evolution of progressive reforms from earlier in the century. Others have argued that it represented a revolution in social values and government institutions. Do you view the New Deal as an extension of progressivism or a radical break with the past?

Answer 1

Answer: in my opinion, the New Deal was a radical break from the past. It can be seen as a continuation of progressivism, but I think it went much farther than progressivism. If it is seen as an extension, then it is an extension that quadrupled in speed, as the Social Security Act and Wagner Act were much more radical than any progressive reforms. Progressive reforms were new and certainly reforms, but to the extent of the New Deal. The WPA provided jobs for millions of unemployed people, the Wagner Act allowed unions to strike, and the Social Security Act provided pension for retired people, all things that seem normal now but were, incredibly radical at the time. This can also be seen in the conservative response to the New Deal, as many believed that it had gone way too far.