ABSTRACT
When he accepted the 1932 Democratic nomination for president, Franklin Roosevelt had declared, "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people." From this statement came the name for Roosevelt's domestic program designedto combat the Great Depression. With solid Democratic majorities in Congress, Roosevelt was able to pass an extraordinary amount of legislation aimed at ameliorating the economic crisis. In his whirlwind first 100 days as president, he established new agencies such as the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the National Recovery Administration. Although the New Deal's momentum slackened after Roosevelt's first year in office, the Democrats increased their congressional majorities in 1934, and Republican governorships were reduced to just 7 states. From 1935 to 1936, Roosevelt presided over another wave of sweeping legislation that included the National Labor Relations Act, the establishment of the Works Progress Administration, and the landmark Social Security Act.
