Rethinking the Place of the New Deal in American History, Essay Example

The authors mention four central themes or “key dimensions” (described in the “abstract” at the beginning and at the bottom of page 5) that they emphasize in their analysis of American politics and society. Which of these do you think is the most important in explaining political and social change in the period (roughly 1930s – 1980s), and why?

Authors Cowie and Salvatore basically identify four specific dimensions to which the American politics has been founded upon. The said dimensions include religion, race, class and individualism. Each element serves a distinct impact on how the American politics has been reshaped over and over again through time. The New Deal, practically considered as the American people’s hope towards prosperity after the Great Depression, has provided a distinct source of inspiration for the government to reestablish their systems to bring life back to the public, thus inspiring them to function as one nation.

Between the years 1930s towards the 1980s, the government became very observant to the attitudes and perceptions of the world especially dedicated towards how they perceive wealth, fortune, prosperity and life satisfaction. The administrators found it necessary for them to consider these matters to be able to help the nation get back up on its feet. For instance, the program Relief for the Unemployed set a class standard among the members of the society to classify themselves as either the ones belonging to the poor or the wealthy category of the population. The administrators became aggressive enough to set such classification among members in the society thus ensuring the possibility of the much fortunate ones to invest, thus opening larger opportunities for those who have lesser means of living. The division among the Americans became evident. Somehow, it indicated that being poor massively affected the way one is identified. Most likely, the term ‘poor’ has become a common word among social minorities. Being part of the minority groups, people under such classification have lesser capacity to embrace opportunities that were directed to be handled by the more fortunate individuals who have been able to attain education thus fitting the qualifications set by the industries.

This marked the poor ones to take on specific lower-edged jobs such as laboring positions [some as slaves to their masters] that distinctively paid less compared to the severity of effort that one has to put forth to complete his assigned tasks. At some point, the distance between the poor sectors of the society and the wealthier members of the same community became even farther. The distinction between the poor and the rich was very much evident in the country. People [who belong to the poor sector] were notably accepting any possible opportunity of work opened to them, some even accepting jobs that are beyond their capacities simply to be able to put something in the table for their families.

The New Order, the seemingly most effective source of hope for the people, is then considered by the authors as a mere mask that covered the realities of the result of the programs created by the government to fast-track the economic growth occurring in the country. The supposed ‘help’ given for the people to thrive in a developing nation has become one of the most compelling sources of desperation among the members of the society. As if being labeled as ‘poor’ was not humiliating enough, the same members of the society are faced with the challenge of accepting whatever is there offered for them to take into account. The opportunities for livelihood that were supposed to give the people new hope were the very elements that brought them unimaginable desperation over the hope of winning their battle against poverty.

The sad truth is, one of the most compelling issues that have been determined by the authors to be strongly connected to this matter is the distinct occurrence of discrimination in the society which further brings about a sense of hopelessness to the poor members of the community. As if not giving them any choice, the poor ones, specifically coming from minor races in the society are dragged down to a fewer choices of job opportunities, pushing them to take on whatever is around for them to take, even though it meant treating themselves lower than the concept of being human itself.

Although the storm has passed over the American society already, and somehow, the structure of politics in the country is now considered more developed than before, the same problems continue to loom over the head of the administrators and the members of the society. Class determination among members of the communities continue to affect the lives of the people as well as with the way they consider each other’s role towards identifying a more progressive way living and governance in the country. A staggering number of individuals belonging to the poor communities still belong to the minorities and somehow, such rate increases every year. As the authors define through their writing, social class and racial discrimination remain to be the strongest enemy of America’s desire to embrace the concepts of the New Ordeal and give birth to a new system of governance in the country.

The continuous trend that occurs in the American politics proves that the conception and the determination of the real meaning of the New Ordeal in the 1930s remain to be a mere illusion up to the current years when modern living is considered to specifically bring a new sense of development in the way people embrace and recognize the real worth of political governance in the country. With such social ailment present, it is expected that the coming years would continue to prove that the American nation is dwelling under the roof of pretentious system of administrational success as it fails to address the real needs of the larger number of population thriving within the nation’s territories.

Work Cited

Cowie, J. & Salvatore, N. (2008). The long exception: Rethinking the place of the New Deal in American history [Electronic version]. International Labor and Working-Class History, 74, 1-32.