"The New Deal": a fitting name to one of the most decisive, straightforward plans of action in our nation's history. The New Deal was Franklin Delano Roosevelt's program to reshape the United States back to standards, following the harsh times of the depression and economic downturns; however, FDR himself had little idea of exactly how the New Deal would be implemented. Instead, the idea exposed was more of an "act first, question later" type of attitude. As the New Deal began to take shape and hold, however, it became quite apparent that FDR wasn't holding anything back. If change was good, then the nation was in for a very promising future; and as it turns out, even though the New Deal had its flaws, it gave the people new hope and new confidence for the future. The program consisted of countless new actions: formation after formation of new organizations, numerous smaller programs and acts within the larger program, highlighted by key people holding key positions throughout the era of the New Deal and FDR. Among the most important of the countless new organizations and administrations were the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), National Recovery Administration (NRA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Farm Security Administration (FSA). These groups offered relief following the periods of economic hardship to a wide range of people: from the broad relief to the nation as a whole to specified relief to small farm owners. Aside from these organizations were some very important acts, some of which are still in effect today. These consisted of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), Indian Reorganization Act, the Wagner Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Emergency Banking Act, and the Social Security Act. These too, served a variety of purposes. The NIRA and Indian Reorganization Act provided relief and aid to Native Americans, a group oft ignored. The Fair Labor Standards Act abolished child labor and established a minimum wage, while the Social Security Act provided assistance and aid to the elderly, sick, needy or disabled and the Wagner Act aided labor unions. Several people held important, groundbreaking positions in the New Deal. One of these was Francis Perkins, who became the first woman to hold a cabinet post in her position as Secretary of Labor. Another was Mary Mclead Bethune, who held the highest position of any black woman in the new deal, and founded the National Council of Negro Woman. In addition to these organizations, acts, and people, the new deal also introduced other new ideas, such as the public works program. This provided for government-funded projects to build public facilities. However, while the New Deal eagerly attacked several key issues, many of the programs seemed to be more glamour then true action. Little economic improvement, coupled with the falling of several key programs of the New Deal due to their being ruled unconstitutional, the New Deal had begun to swiftly lose the promise and potential it might have had to rebuild the nation. However, this didn't slow FDR long; in 1935, he launched a second New Deal, a brand new period of new legislative activity, which included more aids to social welfare, increased control over business, stronger support for unions, and higher taxes against the wealthy. Although the New Deal and FDR had their fair share of critics, the program in general provided a good, fast-paced thrust to increase the economic prosperity of the nation, as is obvious in the attitude of the national population under FDR's administration. Not only did he have thorough nationwide support throughout, in 1936 his landslide re-election showed just how solidly the people were behind him; his programs reached out to a broad population, spanning several groups and classes, not merely the select few. The New Deal's greatest advantage lied not necessarily with its actual improvement of the economic state of the nation, but more so in its affect on the nation's people. By calming and soothing the nation's people, FDR perhaps gave the country exactly the dose it needed to persevere and rebuild following the terrors of the Great Depression.