For a country to function well, it needs a good banking system, and Roosevelt’s New Deal saved the American banking system. When Hoover was in charge, the banks were failing miserably, so when FDR came into power, he knew he would have to do something about it. As soon as he came into office, he announced a bank holiday so that he could hire accountants, examiners and bankers to examine every bank in America’s loans and assets. This meant that Roosevelt could assess whether each bank would be able to survive the crisis. Saving the banking was a big step towards getting the USA out of the Depression and also boosted Roosevelt’s credibility early on in his presidency.
While searching for a job, optimism is fairly important, and it is hard to be optimistic when you live in a slum and eat twice a week. FDR’s new deal meant that vital relief like food, shelter and clothing was given the poor. This meant that people looking for jobs and living slums had a bit more energy and a better outlook in life while in the pursuit for a job. This also yet again boosted the public’s confidence in Roosevelt, as it showed he was concerned about the quality of life for the poor.
Finally, and this is the most important point to show the New Deal was more successful than World War Two, in between the time Roosevelt was elected and the time the war started; the amount of people unemployed in the USA went from 25% to 15%. That is a mammoth decrease, and who knows how much more unemployment would have went down if the war hadn’t of broken out. In some people’s opinions this shows that the New Deal was as, if not more successful as war when it came to escaping the Depression.
Many people say WW2 was far more successful because it didn’t cut unemployment it pretty much ended it. The war employed million up on million of Americans with farming and production jobs, and jobs in the armed services as well. This was an extremely big boost in getting out of the depression and it helped the USA immensely.
While production jobs were being produced, these jobs were producing resources, which the USA could sell to make vast amounts of money. The USA produced and traded so successfully but by the end of the war they were not only out of the Depression but they had become a world super power. This is definitely one of the arguments that shows WW2 was more successful than the New Deal in getting out of the Depression.
Also, the war created new industries in the USA as well. For example the USA army did not have many planes in their army. The USA could not simply just go a buy planes, and they didn’t have the resources at the time. So they created the industry; and soon it was booming like all the others. This also created more construction and mechanics jobs.
Finally, every WW2 meant that trading was easier, and more efficient. Old policies were scrapped and new ones were bought in. The USA’s trading system was like a well-oiled machine, and plenty of money was made out of it. With all these opportunities, America was finally leaving the Depression behind and morale was high, it was a success to say the least.
All in all I would say the both the New Deal and WW2 contributed to end the depression by creating jobs, scrapping bad policies and creating confidence in the American people again. Though in my opinion WW2 was the thing that really ended the Depression. Every decision was made in a trenchant way, and it cut unemployment far faster than the New Deal. Who knows though, maybe if war hadn’t of broken out the New Deal would have finished its job as well…