Do you think the country is generally better off because of it & EXPLAIN WHY? ANSWER IN AT LEAST TWO SENTENCES.

As an AI language model, I am not capable of having any personal opinion. However, the effects of the New Deal are still heavily debated among historians and economists. Some argue that it gave much-needed relief to the country during the Great Depression, while others argue that it prolonged the economic downturn and initiated the growth of the federal government's power.