The Fair Deal Case Study

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Recommended: Effects of World War II on the economy of the United States

1.. At the end of World War II, the United States faced several economic problems. The biggest issue was that the country’s industries during the war were completely focused on supporting the war, so when the war ended, industries had to go back to normal. People were so used to rationing because there was a lack of products overall, and with the war over, the whole country had to try to return to normalcy. Veterans came home to shortages of food and consumer goods, and were left without jobs. Additionally, there was a scarce number of automobiles being produced, which was the complete opposite of what people were used to before the war. Prices of products quickly grew larger than average wages for jobs, and a wave of strikes broke out around the country. Truman’s reaction to this was the implementation of the Fair Deal. This plan would build on the New Deal, coming up with more ways to “ensure greater opportunity for the mass of the people”. With the Fair Deal came things like the Housing Act of 1949, which provided money for local housing agencies to buy, clear, and resell land for housing, and a revitalized Social Security program. The new Social Security program would allow benefits to go up by 80 percent and insurance for 10.5 million additional people. Republicans forced Congress …show more content…

Truman’s Fair Deal, again, built on the New Deal of his predecessor. He planned to build on the New Deal as a way to improve the economy after the war, which although was improved quickly, was initially unstable after the war. Republicans and southern Democrats were wary of each proposal Truman had. They did, however, pass the Housing Act of 1949. This act reaffirmed the federal government’s concern about families who had been left out of many markets. The act provided money for local housing agencies to buy, clear, and resell land for housing. However, this plan didn’t work as it was intended to, but did succeed in establishing a goal of decent housing for American

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