Role of Government Essay Example

The government is the political system by which a country, state or community is administered and regulated. In the American federal government, there are many jobs, however everyone works together to serve for one reason: the citizens. Without citizens a country is not a country. The main purpose of the government is to aid, protect, and allow citizens to live in peace and tranquility. However, during times of crisis the governments’ jobs are to solely focus on helping their own people. Citizens are the backbone to a functioning country and without any citizens, there is no country. As a matter of fact, America is considered to be the “United” States of America and the government must support its citizens during trying times.

An example of a concerning time is shown during the Great Depression. The Great Depression, which occurred from 1929 to 1933, was one of the lowest periods in American history. With historical unemployment rates of 25% and the stock market having lost 90% of its values, the future for America was not very bright. The Great Depression occurred mainly due to the Stock Market rash of 1929. Before 1929, the market was booming, and all citizens wanted to get in to make money. However, most people ended up owning shares by buying on margin. This meant that the people bought some of their stocks with their own money, but they mostly used loans and credit from banks. When the stock market crashed, the American citizens panicked and sold as many shares as they could. This caused the market to completely deplete in value starting some of the worst years for America. When people sold their stocks, they didn’t have the money to pay back to the banks. Not to mention, companies were forced to lay off workers as they were not making a profit, creating immense unemployment meaning people had no source of money. Therefore, this caused them to sell their prized possessions like their house, cars, etc.… Throughout the times leading up to the Great Depression, Herbert Hoover was the president. He implemented policies to solve the country’s economic classes, but those plans failed causing for the Great Depression. However, through in these perilous times emerged Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the 32nd president of the United States in 1933.

Roosevelt helped America recover from the Great Depression. FDR became one of the most famous presidents due to his push to help America recover. Through government programs like SSA (Social Security Act), FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) and the United States Bank Holiday, Roosevelt helped push America in the right direction and these regulations and acts proved to be pivotal in the recovery for America. The SSA is the Social Security Act and it provided financial assistance to the elderly and handicapped people. The employee and the employer would contribute some amount of money to this fund so that it can be saved for later times. This can then be withdrawn and used for retirement purposes. This act was created by Roosevelt in 1935 and helped promote the economic security of the American public. Now people had the safe feeling that no matter what happened, they still had some money left. Also, this still exists today as employees and employers, must contribute to social security accounts. The FDIC was created to ensure that bank deposits were protected in the event that an account fails. It helped create a boost in confidence for the consumer about the health and well-being of the nation’s financial system. This corporation allowed citizens to regain trust in the banks and return to using them for their needs. The United States Bank Holiday was termed to be a day off for all banks on February 14, 1933. At this time, all banks were closed and had to be certified by federal reviewers in order to be reopened. The principal idea behind all of this was simple: win back the trust in the people. All the citizens of America blamed the American government for failing to properly function during the period of the Great Depression. However, these acts helped the citizens have a sense of hope for the future and the fact that everything is going to be alright.

Like the governments’ role during the Great Depression, the government of the progressive era also helped boost the American society. During the Progressive Era, the American government helped fixate laws such as the Meat Inspection Act, the formation of the Food and Drug Agency and the Federal Trade Commission Act. With these acts, the American public were protected and given the freedoms for a better life. From things like inspecting the food sources of the American governments and protecting the American people from illegal practices in the marketplace, the government instituted acts to help better the lives of their citizens. The overall goal for government is to provide the citizens with a place of living that has peace and tranquility. The United States government has helped the people of the nation before, and it is especially crucial to help the people during times of peril like in the Great Depression. 

The government must play a pivotal role in trying to help citizens during times of crisis. The people are the most important aspect in a country, and they must be provided with whatever assistance they may desire. One of the government’s responsibilities is providing services for the people. The first three words of the United States Constitution states, “We the People” and the government must live up to this ideology during trying times.

The New Deal implemented by Franklin Delano Roosevelt aimed to promote economic recovery and put Americans back to work. With all high unemployment rates and economic troubles, this was the right step for the betterment of the country. Similarly in the modern world, the stimulus checks that were handed out, during the Trump administration in 2020, is very comparable to that of the new deal. A stimulus check is a check sent to a taxpayer by the US government. Individuals who make less than $75,000 per year qualify for the stimulus check handout that occurred in 2020. The government decided to handout these checks so that they can stimulate the economy by providing consumers with some money. This money is intended to drive revenue and boost consumption at manufacturers and retailers, inducing the economy. Both of these actions were to help the people of the United States during trying times which is the most important part.