How did the Great Depression alter US attitudes towards welfare?

The Great Depression significantly shifted US attitudes towards welfare, fostering greater acceptance of government intervention and assistance.

Before the Great Depression, the United States had a largely laissez-faire approach to economics, with minimal government intervention in the economy and a general belief in self-reliance and individualism. Welfare was seen as a last resort, primarily for the destitute, and was often stigmatised. However, the economic devastation caused by the Great Depression, which left millions unemployed and impoverished, dramatically altered these attitudes.

The sheer scale of the crisis made it clear that individual effort alone was insufficient to overcome the economic challenges. This led to a shift in public opinion, with many Americans becoming more accepting of government intervention in the economy and supportive of welfare programmes. The belief that the government had a responsibility to ensure the welfare of its citizens became more widespread.

This shift in attitudes was reflected in the policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, which introduced a range of welfare programmes aimed at providing relief for the unemployed and poor, recovery of the economy, and reform of the financial system. These included the Social Security Act, which established a system of old-age benefits and unemployment insurance, and the Works Progress Administration, which provided jobs for the unemployed.

The New Deal marked a significant departure from previous US policy and represented a new social contract between the government and its citizens. It established the principle that the government has a role in ensuring the economic welfare of its citizens and set the stage for the expansion of the welfare state in the following decades.

However, it's important to note that while attitudes towards welfare changed significantly during the Great Depression, these changes were not universally accepted. There was significant opposition to the New Deal and its welfare programmes, particularly from conservatives who believed that they represented an overreach of government power and a threat to individual liberty. These debates over the role of government in the economy and the provision of welfare continue to shape US politics and policy today.