New Deal: Social Security Administration & Other Programs
1. What was/were the cause(s) of this event?
2. What was/were the effect(s) of this event?
3. Why is this event important to the United States’ history?
The cause of the New Deal and the establishment of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and other programs in the United States was the Great Depression. The stock market crash of 1929 led to a severe economic downturn, with high levels of unemployment, poverty, and widespread suffering across the country. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to address these issues and provide relief to the American people.
The effect of the New Deal and the creation of the SSA and other programs was the implementation of various policies and initiatives aimed at providing economic recovery, relief, and reform. The SSA was established in 1935 as a response to the societal and economic challenges of the Great Depression. It introduced the Social Security program, which provided retirement benefits for older Americans, as well as unemployment insurance and assistance for dependent children, the disabled, and other vulnerable populations.
This event is crucial to the United States' history because it represented a significant shift in the role of the federal government in the economy and in providing social welfare. The New Deal and the establishment of the SSA and other programs marked a departure from laissez-faire economic policies and introduced government intervention to stabilize the economy and protect citizens from economic hardships. These programs laid the foundation for social safety nets and the concept of social insurance in the United States, which continue to play a vital role in American society today. The New Deal fundamentally reshaped the relationship between the government and its citizens, establishing a precedent for increased government involvement in ensuring the well-being of its people.