The Great Depression left the American economy shattered, creating the need to establish a regulated economy. The government took the role of improving the economy and creating job opportunities since unemployment was rampant. The intention of the government interfering was to improve the economic situation in America, but it ended up making the situation worse. The workers during this period suffered a lot, as the companies received the advantage with the aim of pumping back money in the economy for growth purposes. Despite the negative effect, there were some improvements noted in the economy and led to issues such as labor unions to fight for improving the working conditions and environment. The periods from the Progressive era, New Deal and political interventions favored the large industries, causing harm to the common workers and making the economy unstable.
Political interference favored the large corporations and caused suffering to the common workers. The large industries were seen as an opportunity of increasing the flow of products and services in the economy. Therefore, buying and selling would increase, and that would stabilize the economy. Production, thus, had to be done in large scale to ensure that the demand created in the market was sustained. The companies did not care about the welfare of the workers, and they were forced to work for long hours and will less compensation (Whitaker, 1871). Since a large number of people were unemployed, they did not have an option but to take the available working opportunities in the industries despite the exhaustion. The working positions were unnatural and monotonous, and it affected the spine and legs of the workers. The number of accidents and casualties were high as the companies did not enforce safety measures since production was the priority.
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The New Deal led to economic instability. The New Deal was made up of various programs, financial reforms, public work projects, and regulations implemented by President Franklin Roosevelt. The programs and the reforms required a large sum of money to be enacted, which were taken from the economy, which was already deteriorating. Establishing the New Deal was thus too expensive, making the economy worse than it was. Most of the programs ended up failing, and the money invested was lost, yet it would have been used in establishing small-businesses which would have been successful instead of programs that failed (Rauchway, 2008). The New Deal led to individualization, benefiting specific people while the others were left to suffer. The owners of the large industries and corporations received support from the government so that they could produce in large amounts to ensure that demand and supply were satisfied. The small-scale producers lost their operations, lending others jobless.
Political interference affected the growth of the economy negatively. Roosevelt created various agencies which were meant to protect certain groups of citizens such as workers, farmers, and company owners. The political administration of Roosevelt led to a generation of political ideas which came to be recognized as the New Deal liberalism. The liberal idea of the New Deal led to the construction and expansion of America being a capitalist economy (Rauchway, 2008). The government authorized giving of loans, and that further led to economic instability. The loans provided were pumped in the economy, but since the businesses were starting, most of them could not pay the loans back, affecting the operations of financial institutions.
Eugenics was among the American economic reforms, which ended up creating economic instability. The implementation of eugenics in the society was meant to combine science and biology with helping control human inheritance, thus controlling some economic ills that were responsible for the depression. Eugenics would be used to ensure that the people who served the society were interested in social goodness only (Leonard, 2009). Eugenics concerned engineering and such practices would require high skills, expertise, and money. The American economy at that time would not handle the cost, and investing in eugenics was a waste of resources. In addition, eugenics was a morally wrong act, considering it interfered with the genetic make-up of human beings in the quest of making them incorruptible.
The opposing view of political interventions, the Progressive era, and the New Deal period helping workers and promoting economic stability is weaker to mine. Though there were some economic developments noted, the largest effect was seen on how the employees suffered due to harsh working conditions, the medical issues they sustained, and the low wages. The unemployment levels remained relatively high despite the implementations meant to reduce it. The small-scale producers did not receive support as only the large corporations benefited. Most of the programs that Roosevelt implemented ended up failing, and that wasted large sums of money that would have been implemented in developing the economy.
The history of employees fighting for their employment rights affects the issues in the workplace. Employees have their rights, which they can now pursue as the employers of large corporations do not have the support of the government as it was in the past. In contemporary employment, employees have safety clothing and gadgets, minimum working hours, and wages and can file a case against an employer who ignores these rights.
References
Leonard, T. C. (2009). American economic reform in the Progressive Era: its foundational beliefs and their relation to eugenics. History of Political Economy, 41(1), 109-141. http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=36656984&site=eds-live&scope=site
Rauchway, E. (2008). The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=218056&site=eds-live&scope=site
Whitaker, J. (1871). The Impact of the Factory on Worker Health. Retrieved from http://college.cengage.com/history/wadsworth_9781133309888/unprotected/ps/impact_factory.htm
