The Great Depression (1929–41) was the longest and deepest economic downturn in U.S. history.  Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal (1933–39) introduced sweeping relief, recovery, and reform programs, but historians and economists still debate whether these reforms ended the Depression, merely eased its worst effects, or even prolonged it. This article examines the evidence on key … Continue reading The New Deal and the Great Depression: Effectiveness of FDR’s Reforms