The New Deal

As Roosevelt said, he needed the masses to pressure him into doing the right thing. So it was truly indispensable that organized labor fought the Bosses so militantly, especially from 1934-1938. The New Dealers did some great things things ...almost immediately, like Harry Hopkins's disbursement - within about a week of his assuming his post as National Emergency Relief Administrator - of $500 million in relief to the most needy. Some of the most destitute were literally starving. But the New Dealers also did some bad things, like worrying so excessively about budget deficits that they drastically cut back on New Deal spending in 1936, considerably exacerbating the Depression. The New Deal, a decidedly mixed bag that nevertheless alleviated much suffering and saved some lives:
http://books.google.com/books/about/The_New_Deal.html?id=SyMQUT4Q6ScC