Public+Works+Administration

Bridget Hebbard and Michele Moes

**__Public Works Administration__ **

__**"Fireside Chat"**__

Good evening my fellow Americans. I would like to take this time to introduce to you a new national program, the Public Works Administration or PWA. This program was first brought to me by Francis Perkins and will serve as an extension of the  National Industrial Recovery Act . The PWA will contribute to the revival of American industries. In short, it is designed to "spend big bucks on big projects", such as putting money back into small business in order to create more jobs, improve public welfare, and stabilize citizen purchasing power. In order to bring about these changes, the PWA will budget several billions of dollars. The program’s focus will be on airports, dams generating electricity, using electricity for railroads , new courthouses, city halls, sewage-disposal plants, new public-health facilities and building quality affordable houses. The PWA will also focus on the construction of schools, hospitals, post offices, bridges, subways, and roads. Harold Ickes, James Farley, Henry Wallace, and myself all support this program, and so should you. I will need your help in bringing these new reforms to American lives and to yours. The Public Works Administration could bring you a job or even a house. I need all of your support for this to be a successful program. Thank you for your time and have a good night. __**Immediate Impact of Program**__: ~The PWA spent over 6 billion dollars, but had little to no success in returning the industrial activity level to pre-depression levels...Nor did it bring about a widespread of many small business' as it was intended to.

~The PWA's lasting legacy is perhaps more important than its immediate effect. ~FDR was opposed to the concept of deficit spending and, therefore, did not pour enough money into the PWA to accomplish all of his goals. ~The PWA did, however, provide the federal gov't with a systematic network for funds distribution to localities ~It ensured that conservation of American lands would remain an element in national discussion ~It also provided badly needed public policy planning experience to federal administrators  Sources: [] http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USARpwa.htm http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/482574/Public-Works-Administration
 * __Long-lasting Impact of Program__**:
 * The Public Works Administration was abolished in June of 1941 due to its irrelevance. Instead of sticking to the program, FDR turned America's economy toward war production and he abandoned his opposition to deficit spending.***