How does the New Deal era compare to current times?

I think that you will find in both time periods a belief that government can do more for people in order to assist in severe times of economic challenge.  The New Deal's premise was that government can provide relief and set the stage for recovery in times of stagnant or devolution in economic progress.  This is a premise that is believed today, to a great extent.  The use of government bailout money for banks and businesses is a reflection of this.  The use of government funds to sustain and even rescue businesses and financial institutions that have suffered great challenge during the economic recession of the last five years is an extension of the New Deal ideas.  Another comparison of both settings is that financial pressure and economic challenge is experienced by the lowest of society.  The regular person in both time periods experienced the brunt of economic challenge more than anyone else.  In the New Deal time period, "regular" people were feeling the economic pinch and this is the same today.  The interesting element out of this would be that regular people were not the ones who brought on either set of economic challenges.  It is here where another parallel is evident in that risky economic practices and not sound strategies brought on both time periods.  The New Deal was triggered by the Great Depression, an economic situation that was brought on by purchasing stocks on marginal credit and not having sufficient funds or investments to substantiate it.  The current economic times has parallels to this with examples such as the subprime mortgage lending crisis as well as other fiscally irresponsible actions that brought about economic pain for all.  Even if one wanted to argue that "regular people" bought in to the subprime mortgage crisis, I think that it can be asserted that banks and lending institutions were not vigilant in approving loans that they had to have known could not and would not have been sufficiently paid.

How does the New Deal relate to its era?

The New Deal is related to the New Deal Era. The New Deal Era is the time period when the New Deal programs were created and put into effect. Therefore, the New Deal Era and the New Deal are closely connected.

The New Deal Era began when Franklin D. Roosevelt became President in early 1933. He launched a series of programs designed to provide relief for the American people, recovery for the American economy, and reform of our financial and investment system. This Era lasted until 1939, approximately.

The relief programs were designed to get people working again. Many jobs were created in the construction field as a result of the Civil Works Administration and the Public Works Administration. Relief was also provided to homeowners and those who owned farms as they were helped with mortgages.

Recovery programs were designed to get the economy up and running again. For example, the National Industrial Recovery Act had businesses, workers, and the government working together. They agreed to a series of rules for wages, prices, and hours of work.

The reform programs were designed to prevent future depressions from happening again. The Glass-Steagall Act created insurance for savings accounts. It also prevented commercial banks from speculating in the stock market. The Securities Act created the Securities and Exchange Commission to prevent fraud.

These programs and many more were developed as part of the New Deal during the New Deal Era. They were designed to help people during the Great Depression and to try to prevent the causes that led to the Great Depression from happening again.