US History Role of Government

Theodore Roosevelt

U.S. President during the Progressive Movement that expanded the role of the government more than any other president before him by protecting the environment, breaking up trusts (monopolies), and ensuring safe food/drugs

New Deal

A series of reforms enacted by the Franklin Roosevelt administration between 1933 and 1942 with the goal of ending the Great Depression

Social Security Act

Passed by FDR in 1935 and still around today, this tax on workers provides monthly payments to retired (older, non-working) people

Dust Bowl

Area of the Great Plains that experienced a drought and then terrible wind storms in the 1930s, resulting in crops being destroyed and many farmers moving west

National Forest Service

Government agency created by Theodore Roosevelt in 1905 to protect land; TR used this to set aside 140 million acres of land

Progressive Movement

The period from approximately 1901-1916 in which the government took a more active stance to fix the problems of the Industrial Revolution

Prohibition

The period from 1920 to 1933 when the sale of alcoholic beverages was prohibited in the United States

Harrison Act

Passed in 1914 this was the first legitimate effort by the US government to regulate addicting drugs (including banning the use of cocaine, heroin, opioids) and required prescriptions for the purchases of certain medical drugs

Pure Food and Drug Act

Passed in 1906, this law requires that anything meant for humans to consume (eat or put in body) is safe because it must be approved now by the government while also prohibiting the mislabeling of substances

Tenement House Act

Passed in 1901 in NY, this law required each new apartment to be built with a central courtyard for windows and to have a bathroom in each apartment, leading to other state governments doing the same

Child Labor Act

During the early 1900s, the federal government passed this law prohibiting kids from working because it was deemed too dangerous and people felt kids should be in school instead

Hoovervilles

A collection of makeshift shacks during the Great Depression, named after the president whom many blamed for their financial troubles

Stock Market Crash

This was the last straw that triggered the Great Depression in 1929 as this caused many people to stop spending and more banks to fail

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

President of the US during the Great Depression and World War II; longest serving President in US History (1933-1945)

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

1935 New Deal agency that created around 9 million jobs building schools, airports fields, and hospitals

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Program created in 1933 to construct dams in order to generate electricity and prevent floods in a poor region of the country

Agriculture Adjustment Act (AAA)

Passed in 1933, this gave farmers money to reduce production and increase the value of crops

FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)

An agency created in 1933 to insure individuals' bank accounts, protecting people against losses due to bank failures

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

An agency created in 1935 to establish rules for stock market trading and require companies that sell stock to publicly reveal their financial information

Federal Housing Administration (FHA)

An agency created in 1934 to provide insurance to banks to encourage them to make more loans, resulting in a boom in home ownership

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

1934 New Deal program that hired unemployed men to work on environmental projects

The Jungle

1906 book written by Upton Sinclair that exposed the unsafe working conditions and unsanitary food in the meatpacking industry

Great Society

This is the name of LBJ's program to end poverty, lasting from 1963-1969, and greatly expanded the role of government

Clean Air Act

Passed in 1970 by Richard Nixon, this law set limits on the amount of air pollution involving factories and set limits on how much pollution cars could emit and created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor pollution

Food Stamps

Started in 1964, this program now known as SNAP provides food to low-income Americans

Ronald Reagan

U.S. President from 1981-1989 who was effective in "pulling back" from government assistance by cutting taxes, reducing regulations on businesses but also increasing defense spending

Medicare/Medicaid

Passed in 1965, this is government-provided health insurance for Americans aged 65 or over and government-provided health insurance for low-income individuals

Job Corps

Created in 1964 and specifically designed for low-income individuals, this program enrolls 16-24 year olds in training to help them earn a G.E.D., get vocational training (learn plumbing, welding, carpentry skills, etc) or get educational training

Head Start

Created in 1965, this provides nearly 1 million low-income children, under the age of 5 with free pre-school, dental and health screenings to try to level the playing field

Lyndon Johnson

U.S. President from 1963-1969 whose main goal was to end poverty through his "Great Society" program

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

This 1965 law provides federal funding for primary and secondary education and was meant to improve the education of poor people

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

This 1969 law created both PBS television and NPR radio with the purpose of providing educational programming through the media to underprivileged students who might not be getting pre-school instruction from their parents at home

Child Nutrition Act

This 1964 law established the School Breakfast Program, a federally assisted meal program that provides low-cost or free breakfasts to children in public schools as well as child care institutions

Affordable Care Act

Also refereed to as "Obamacare", law passed in 2010 to expand access to insurance, address cost reduction and affordability, improve the quality of healthcare, and introduce the Patient's Bill of Rights

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Passed in 1996, this provides cash for poor families with children and limits recipients to 5 years