After the New Deal

On this page, we track the fate of New Deal programs and policies after World War II. The New Deal was a watershed in the operations and size of government in the United States, and its legacy lived on for years – indeed, right down to the present day.

We’ve split the information into two time periods, 1946-1975 and 1976-present. The post-war era witnessed a strong continuity with the New Deal despite the coming of the Eisenhower Administration in the 1950s and even the addition of more New Deal-type programs under the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations in the 1960s. The post-1975 era, on the other hand, brought a considerable roll-back of New Deal programs under the banner of the Reagan and Bush Administrations.  The attack on New Deal policies was an intended result of the anti-government, free-market ideology of the Neo-Conservatives.  The cutbacks on everything from corporate taxes to bank regulations have lent more recent times the name of “Neo-Liberalism”.

[As with many of our pages, we’re in the midst of adding a lot of content, so this page is under construction.  Be sure to check back for updates]


The Postwar Era: 1946-1975

Completion of River Basin Projects

The Interstate Highway System

Expansion of State & Local infrastructure

Re-establishment of a Food Stamp Program

Expansion of Subsidized Housing

Expansion of Parks and Conservation Programs

Medicare & Medicaid

Minimum Wages & Aid to the Poor

The Neoliberal Era: 1976-present

Banking and Financial Deregulation

Tax Cuts for the Rich and Corporations

No Rise in Minimum Wage and Cuts in Aid to the Poor

Efforts to Reduce or Privatize Social Security

Failure to Invest in Infrastructure

Efforts to Sell TVA