The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)

Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1933. In the next twelve years, the United States and its democratic style of government used a collaboration between government and the private sector to instill innovations that made significant changes to the social and economic landscape of the United States. The Roosevelt administration and Congress almost immediately enacted legislation to correct the missteps of an unregulated capitalist economy that lead to the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrial world. “We Do Our Part” was the slogan attached to the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) or NRA to inspire Americans to embrace the program which allows the federal government to regulate the private sector to spur job growth and

The cornerstone of this program was to involve the country’s trade associations and labor unions to begin to self-regulate to establish production targets and set wages and prices with oversight from a number of Advisory Boards. (p. 230 Fear Itself) These advisory boards reviewed the proposals and provided oversight to ensure that the plans were sound. Workers were empowered by allowing the formation of unions to ensure that workers were working along-side industry to ensure that their voices were heard. As a result, wages increased and industry and labor worked together to correct some other the inequities that were present before the

The Fair Labor Standards Act passed in 1938 and provided three important innovations that had a positive impact for the American worker. These included an increase in the minimum wage over a four-year span that would guarantee an hourly worker a decent wage and provided for maximum working hours. The law also prohibited child labor in industries that engaged in interstate commerce. (p. 270 Fear Itself) Unfortunately, Southern Democrats blocked any reform to improve working conditions, wages or opportunities for black laborers. The Banking Act of 1933 and the separated investments from depository banks and created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps put 250,000 unemployed men to work. (p. 252 Fear Itself) And of course, the Social Security Administration was established to aid the disabled and elderly. Roosevelt appealed the American people to approach the New Deal as if the country were going to war. He encouraged all Americans to support one another in the effort. This movement was indeed a precursor for the demands the World War II would have on the Administration, the private sectors and the citizens of the United