When asked how to solve the Great Depression, critically-acclaimed author Upton Sinclair responded, “The remedy is to give the workers access to the means of production, and let them produce for themselves… the American way.” Sinclair believed that only by allowing the people to play a role in their economic futures could the depression truly be eradicated, an idea whose effectiveness can be shown through a comparison of the United States, a constitutional republic under the leadership of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Brazil, led by the idealistic Getúlio Vargas. In the decade leading up to the Second World War, both countries faced rampant unemployment and dangerous levels of agricultural overproduction; however, while some similar measures were taken by both men to provide relief to their citizens,
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In the United States, Roosevelt’s “New Deal” was constantly under attack by more radical democrats, such as Louisiana Governor Huey Long and Dr. Francis Townsend. The former spoke out against industrial monopolies, while the latter demanded a $200 monthly pension for Americans over the age of 60. While Roosevelt could have dismissed these radical notions entirely, he instead chose to implement his opponent’s ideas into new reform measures. The Social Security Act of 1935 provided a small pension to the elderly, and Roosevelt’s frequent acts of trust-busting broke up large corporations, and redistributed power to many smaller companies. Instead of shunning the radical perspectives of his rivals, Roosevelt accepted them to promote honest change, an action only possible in a democratic system. He made infeasible ideals workable, and thus satisfied both his rivals and his
In the United States, Roosevelt’s “New Deal” was constantly under attack by more radical democrats, such as Louisiana Governor Huey Long and Dr. Francis Townsend. The former spoke out against industrial monopolies, while the latter demanded a $200 monthly pension for Americans over the age of 60. While Roosevelt could have dismissed these radical notions entirely, he instead chose to implement his opponent’s ideas into new reform measures. The Social Security Act of 1935 provided a small pension to the elderly, and Roosevelt’s frequent acts of trust-busting broke up large corporations, and redistributed power to many smaller companies. Instead of shunning the radical perspectives of his rivals, Roosevelt accepted them to promote honest change, an action only possible in a democratic system. He made infeasible ideals workable, and thus satisfied both his rivals and his