Welfare, Democracy and the Ne Deal [Paperback]

Brock's book raises important questions about American attitudes toward welfare, local government, and national responsibility.In reviewing the experience of the Federal Emergency Relief Act, Professor Brock's book raises important questions about American attitudes toward welfare, local government, and national responsibility.In reviewing the experience of the Federal Emergency Relief Act, Professor Brock's book raises important questions about American attitudes toward welfare, local government, and national responsibility.Although Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal is remembered in large part because of the aid and assistance it brought to millions of unemployed and indigent Americans, surprisingly little has been written about federal relief for unemployment. The great experiment of the Federal Emergency Relief Act had implications that went beyond its immediate purpose: it challenged directly the deep-seated conviction that the relief of poverty was a local responsibility, and in doing so highlighted the deficiencies of local self-government. In reviewing the experiment of the F.E.R.A. and the New Deal, Professor Brock's book raises important questions about American attitudes toward welfare, local government, and national responsibility.Preface; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1. A view from the peak of prosperity; 2. Local responsibility; 3. The impact of depression; 4. Federal relief; 5. Parallel government; 6. To aid the states; 7. Retreat; 8. Disarray; 9. Debits and credits; Index.