Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in November 2021.
Considered the greatest peaceable expression of common purpose in U.S. history, the New Deal altered Americans' relationship with politics, economics, and one another in ways that continue to resonate today. No matter where you look in America, there is likely a building or bridge built through New Deal initiatives. If you have taken out a small business loan backed by the federal government or drawn unemployment insurance, you can thank the New Deal. In his latest book, Why the New Deal Matters, historian and author Eric Rauchway, looks at how the New Deal’s legacy, both for good and ill, informs the current debates around governmental responses to crises.
Eric Rauchway is distinguished professor of history at the University of California-Davis, and has written seven books of US history, as well as a novel. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Dissent, and the Times Literary Supplement, and among many other publications.
