FDR saw a role for the Federal government that was far greater than previously thought acceptable. Americans had traditionally shared a profound hostility and skepticism towards anything that smacked of a powerful Federal government, especially in relation to economic issues. But desperate times called for desperate measures and the catastrophe of the Great Depression had convinced many Americans that only a powerful Federal government had the necessary resources to dig the country out of its deep economic hole.

At the dawn of the New Deal, the vast majority of Americans showed themselves pragmatic when it came to the newly-expanded role of the Federal government, as indeed did their president. FDR was no big state ideologue; he saw government power as a means to an end, an instrument to be used in the fight against mass unemployment, bank failures, and industrial decline. Indeed, many of Roosevelt's critics on the Left criticized him for being too cautious, for not going further in extending the role of the state. But such a radical plan was never in the cards so long as FDR was in the White House. Wherever possible, he wanted to see the private sector get back on its feet and start creating jobs again. The Federal government, with its interventionist measures, had set the ball rolling for economic recovery, but it was up to private business and industry to make sure that it was sustained.

More radical critics of the Roosevelt Administration appeared to have been proved right for the first few years of the New Deal. Unemployment, though somewhat lower than under Hoover, remained stubbornly high. It seemed to confirm FDR's left-wing critics in their original assessment that the government had not gone far enough in challenging the old doctrine of laissez-faire. Indeed, it wasn't until America's entry into World War II that full employment became a reality. But again, the massive expansion of the role of the federal government in running the economy was related to necessity rather than ideology. In that sense, FDR's actions in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor weren't all that different from those carried out prior to 1941.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected during the worst depression in our history. Throughout the 1920s, many people believed in a laissez-faire philosophy for our government. They believed the government should play a very limited role in our economy. When the economy collapsed in late 1929, many people were negatively impacted by the Great Depression.

President Roosevelt had a different view of the role of the federal government. He believed the federal government should be actively involved in trying to get the economy out of the Great Depression. He proposed many programs designed to get people back to work. The CCC and CWA are examples of programs designed to get people back to work. The government also took a more active role in regulating the banking industry and the stock market. The Glass-Steagall Act and the Securities Act are examples of programs designed to regulate the banks and the stock market.

President Roosevelt believed the government should be actively involved in our economy. He believed the government should be a safety net for people when they were experiencing difficult times.