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Our country has seen many president elections. In these elections we have to distinguish which of the candidates’ best fit the country’s needs. Candidates the put together plans or projects into perspective, this is how we decided who is better fit for the job. We pick which plan sounds better and which one fits our needs. These presidential candidates take their time in to making these sort or blueprints for what they plan on doing for the next four years. They take what is wrong around the economic system and break them down into smaller issues that they can work on by taking small steps.
These plans also take what is going wrong with the nation as a whole and address these issues as well. One of the most recognized plans was President Roosevelt’s New Deal, and our most recent is President Obama’s Economic Stimulus Plan. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal planned to aid the country during the Depression. There were two parts of this economic system. There was the “first new deal” that dealt mainly with agriculture, banking, and railroads more of industrializations issues. Then there was the “second new deal” that dealt with more of the employment issues.
It dealt with social security, labor unions, also dealt with minimum wages and maximum hours. Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal did get congress to pass many emergency organizations. Like the National Recovery Administration dealt with setting minimum wages and maximum weekly hours, which was later found unconstitutional. Many of its labor provisions reappeared in the National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act). The New Deal also established Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), due to the depression banks weren’t giving out any money; people couldn’t even access their savings.
The FDIC enabled safety of deposits that helped people to grow trust in banks again. The Social Security Act was established in 1935, this provided benefits to retirees and the unemployed, and a benefit at death. They claimed it would encourage older workers to retire, thus creating opportunities for younger people to come across jobs, which would lower the unemployment rate. Roosevelt’s New Deal also claimed that no citizen should be allowed to starve and government had to help unemployment. “In addition to providing emergency relief, the Federal Government should and must provide temporary work wherever that is possible.
You and I know that in the national forests, on flood prevention, and on the development of waterway projects that have already been authorized and planned but not yet executed, tens of thousands, and even hundreds of thousands of our unemployed citizens can be given at least temporary employment. “- Franklin D. Roosevelt, speech in Boston (October, 1932). The New Deal also set out to help those with low incomes, to avoid being homeless. The National Housing Act that was passed by Congress in 1934 set up the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).
This agency encouraged banks, building and loan associations to make loans for building homes, small business establishments, and farm buildings. If the FHA approved the plans, it would insure the loan. It made loans at low interest to local governments to help them build apartment blocks. Rents in these homes were fixed and were only available to low income families. By 1941 the agency had assisted in the construction of more than 120,000 family units. Franklin D. Roosevelt had a plan to assist the American people out of their struggles with the Depression. By 1939, the New Deal had run its course.
In the short term, New Deal programs helped improve the lives of people suffering from the events of the depression. In the long run, New Deal programs set a precedent for the federal government to play a key role in the economic and social affairs of the nation. President Barack Obama also set up a plan to fix the economy. Like Franklin D. Roosevelt, he also set out to create new jobs in America, provide relief for struggling families, increase the amount of assistance for homeowners, provide assistance for business owners, also to increase government grants to help US citizens.
Obama stepped in during a recession, which is better that what Roosevelt dealt with. Although Roosevelt’s problem was a bit more drastic, the nation wasn’t in as much debt as it is now, so who’s to say that they weren’t in the exact same position. It is very hard to turn a country’s economic situation around in only four years, Obama’s plan does have very good points, but we probably won’t see any of its rewards until after he leaves office possibly even if he does a second term. This Nation is in a whole, and it’s going to take some time to dig ourselves out of it.
Although Roosevelt did take on some of the environmental needs, Obama’s plan does have a lot of energy saving tactics. As well as creating a deduction of sales tax on new car purchases. He wants to give money to weatherize homes to conserve energy. He also is focusing on education, setting a $2,500 college tuition tax credit for college students. Obama also wants to give money to school districts, head starts and special education programs. Also wants to post Pell Grants, which also affect college students.
He in addition wants to give money to build and modernize new schools. Obama also took on health care in his budget. He wants to give eighty seven billion dollars to help states with Medicaid. There is also talk of a Universal Health Care being proposed. There are plans to modernize health information technology systems throughout the nation. As well as, expanding insurance for the unemployed. In addition, he also wants to provide a onetime immediate two hundred dollar supplement to social security benefits for low income seniors.
Additionally, he wants to give money in relief for state and local governments hardest hit by the housing crisis. In doing so he hopes to relieve the possibility that these families might choose to not pay for their education or health care to find money to pay for mortgage or rent. Both of these Presidents stepped into something that they both knew would be hard. They tried everything they could with getting the nation going again. Depression in the 30s and a recession in 2009, bout dealt with hard time.
The people of America left the future of the nation in the hands of these two men. Some people approve of what they did, or are trying to do, and some criticize. That goes for everything in life; luckily these men don’t give in when times get rough. These men are important in our nation’s history, most of the New Deal tactics didn’t take effect until after the 40s, and most likely Obama’s plans won’t see their results for sometime either. Things take time, the economy will not turn around over night, and the ozone will not recover in a month.
These are all thing that everyone as a whole needs to take part in, it is only right for government to enforce some type of progress towards or destinations. It is our government’s duty to protect and care for its citizens, without government involvement we wouldn’t know where to start. With these plans we are given a layout of what needs to be taken into action. It took some time for people to appreciate what Roosevelt did with his New Deal, and it will take some time for Obama’s stimulus to be appreciated as well.