3. Happy Days are here again
In 1932 Herbert Hoover faced re-election, opposed by Democratic candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt promised the nation a “New Deal” a term which was borrowed from Mark Twain, who used it in his popular novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Prior to Roosevelt’s programs, there was no insurance protecting the savings of Americans which were in banks. Relief for the poor and hungry was the responsibility of churches and social institutions, rather than the government, though some local governments offered some relief. By 1932 even those that did were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in need of relief, unemployment was at 25%, and most of those who were employed worked less than full-time, their paychecks reduced accordingly. Income for farmers had dropped by half, and nearly 20% of American farmers had seen their properties foreclosed on by the banks.
Roosevelt, campaigning to the tune of Happy Days are Here Again, promised direct federal action to battle the depression and restore the American economy. Roosevelt stated that the election of 1932 was a “call to arms”. Although Roosevelt promised a New Deal, as the campaign went on he did not define what it would entail, largely because he didn’t know. Not until he took office did the series of programs and initiatives which became the New Deal take shape, the result of a group of advisors which he called his Brain Trust. Largely consisting of academics with a legal background, the Brain Trust members changed over time, consulting with the President and his cabinet as the policies of the New Deal emerged, helping to guide them through a hostile Republican opposition in Congress and the courts.