The New Deal had a mixed impact on minorities and women. Some New Deal programs, like the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration, did offer employment opportunities to African Americans and women. However, discrimination persisted, with many programs either excluding minorities or offering them lower wages. Social Security initially excluded domestic and agricultural workers, occupations heavily populated by minorities and women. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 was a positive step, ending the policy of assimilation and recognizing Native American tribal governments. Overall, while the New Deal offered some advances, its impact was often limited by existing societal prejudices.

The New Deal's banking reforms were comprehensive, starting with the Emergency Banking Act of 1933 which provided for the inspection and restoration of solvent banks. The Glass-Steagall Banking Act of the same year established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), insuring deposits to prevent bank runs and restore public confidence. The Banking Act of 1935 further strengthened the Federal Reserve's control over the money supply and interest rates. These measures were instrumental in stabilising the banking system, restructuring the Federal Reserve, and ensuring that future banking practices were more cautious and regulated.

Critics of the New Deal's economic policies argued that they extended beyond the government's constitutional authority and created an unsustainable fiscal burden. Economists such as Friedrich Hayek and later Milton Friedman contended that New Deal policies interfered with market forces and prevented economic adjustments. Critics also pointed out that despite massive spending, the New Deal did not end the Great Depression; it took the economic mobilisation of World War II to fully recover. The New Deal’s detractors believed it expanded the federal government's role in the economy to an unprecedented and, in their view, dangerous degree, laying the groundwork for future government overreach.

The New Deal approached the agricultural crisis with the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), which aimed to raise crop prices by reducing supply. It paid farmers to cut production of staple crops like cotton and wheat, thus elevating prices due to lower available quantities. The Farm Credit Act provided loans to prevent farm foreclosures, and the Rural Electrification Administration brought electricity to rural areas, modernising farming. Although controversial, and despite some of its measures being declared unconstitutional in 1936, the AAA fundamentally shifted American agricultural policy and aimed to secure the livelihoods of farmers.

The Second New Deal's labour reforms were centred around empowering workers and ensuring fair labour standards. The Wagner Act, or National Labor Relations Act of 1935, was pivotal in these reforms, guaranteeing workers' rights to unionise and engage in collective bargaining. This led to a significant increase in union membership and power. Additionally, the Fair Labor Standards Act introduced in 1938 set maximum hours and minimum wages for workers, addressing long-standing issues of unfair labour practices. These acts were groundbreaking, establishing fundamental workers' rights that had previously been unregulated at the federal level.