Can the New Deal's three Rs be rehabilitated? A program-by-program, county-by-county analysis

Price V. Fishback; Shawn Kantor; John Joseph Wallis

doi:10.1016/S0014-4983(03)00029-9

Can the New Deal's three Rs be rehabilitated? A program-by-program, county-by-county analysis

Price V. Fishback, Shawn Kantor, John Joseph Wallis

Economics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

69 Scopus citations

Abstract

We examine the importance of Roosevelt's "relief, recovery, and reform" motives to the distribution of New Deal funds across over 3000 US counties, program by program. The major relief programs most closely followed Roosevelt's three Rs. Other programs were tilted more in favor of areas with higher incomes. For all programs spending for political advantage in upcoming elections was a significant factor. Roosevelt's successful reelections were based on developing specific programs for a broad range of constituents, delivering on his stated goals, but also spending more at the margin for political purposes.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	278-307
Number of pages	30
Journal	Explorations in Economic History
Volume	40
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0014-4983(03)00029-9
State	Published - Jul 2003

ASJC Scopus subject areas

History
Economics and Econometrics

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10.1016/S0014-4983(03)00029-9

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abstract = "We examine the importance of Roosevelt's {"}relief, recovery, and reform{"} motives to the distribution of New Deal funds across over 3000 US counties, program by program. The major relief programs most closely followed Roosevelt's three Rs. Other programs were tilted more in favor of areas with higher incomes. For all programs spending for political advantage in upcoming elections was a significant factor. Roosevelt's successful reelections were based on developing specific programs for a broad range of constituents, delivering on his stated goals, but also spending more at the margin for political purposes.",

author = "Fishback, {Price V.} and Shawn Kantor and Wallis, {John Joseph}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors are deeply indebted to Larry Neal and Joseph Mason who facilitated the collection of the New Deal data used in the paper. We received helpful comments from Robert Fleck and an anonymous referee. Financial support has been provided by National Science Foundation Grants SBR-9708098, SES-0080324, and SES-0214395, the Earhart Foundation, the University of Arizona Foundation, and the University of Arizona Office of the Vice President for Research. ",

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Can the New Deal's three Rs be rehabilitated? A program-by-program, county-by-county analysis

Abstract

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