简介：Afterthestockmarketcrashedin1929,millionsofAmericanslosttheirjobs,theirsavingsandtheirhomes.PresidentHerbertHooverurgedpatienceandself-reliance:Hethoughtthecrisiswasjust"apassingincidentinournationallives,"whichthefederalgovernmentwasn'tresponsibleforresolving.In1932,theDemocraticParty'spresidentialcandidate,NewYorkgovernorFranklinDelanoRoosevelt,declaredthat,indeed,thegovernmentcouldtrytomakeAmericans'livesbetter."IpledgemyselftoaNewDealfortheAmericanpeople,"hesaidinhisacceptancespeechathisparty'sconvention,andhemeantit.Overthenextnineyears,Roosevelt'sprogramsandpoliciesdidmorethanjustadjustinterestrates,tinkerwithfarmsubsidiesandcreateshort-termmake-workprograms.Theycreatedabrand-new,iftenuous,politicalcoalitionthatincludedwhiteworkingpeople,African-Americansandleft-wingintellectuals.Thesepeoplerarelysharedthesameinterests-atleast,theyrarelythoughttheydid-buttheydidshareapowerfulbeliefthataninterventionistgovernmentwasgoodfortheirfamilies,theeconomyandthenation.Theircoalitionhassplinteredovertime,butmanyoftheNewDealprogramsthatboundthemtogetherarestillwithustoday.…