New Deal
Americannoun
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the principles of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, especially those advocated under the leadership of President Franklin D. Roosevelt for economic recovery and social reforms.
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the domestic program of the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, especially during the period from 1933 to 1941.
noun
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the domestic policies of Franklin D. Roosevelt for economic and social reform
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the period of the implementation of these policies (1933–40)
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The New Deal remains controversial. Some have criticized it as too expensive and have called it an inadvisable expansion of federal control over the American economy. Others have insisted that the New Deal was an appropriate response to desperate conditions and produced programs of continuing value.
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Etymology
Origin of New Deal
1830–35, as political catchphrase during the Jackson presidency
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Appeared in the May 30, 2026, print edition as 'Newsom Wants an AI New Deal'.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
From Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal to Jimmy Carter’s winning campaign in 1976, Democratic Party built a durable coalition by making rural voters feel seen and heard with policies that responded to their needs and demands.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
As for domestic policy, the high-water mark of federal government power previously was coincidently during the tenure of TR’s distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in the New Deal.
From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026
“We’re in a similar moment now,” said New Deal expert Eric Rauchway, a distinguished professor of history at UC Davis.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2025
In the wake of these incidents, Congress passed a series of New Deal reforms that gave the federal government its first comprehensive criminal code and the bureau a sweeping mission.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.