The New Deal and the Modernization of the South

Gavin Wright

No 08-042, Discussion Papers from Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: This paper considers the impact of New Deal programs on the economy of the American South. Through investments in infrastructure (roads and electric power), environmental improvements (reforestation and soil conservation), and advances in public health (sanitation facilities and disease eradication), the federal government kickstarted modern economic development in the South. Although World War II is often identified as the turning point for regional growth, it is argued that wartime policies were a continuation of the region-building programs of the 1930s. There was no automatic connection, however, between economic modernization and liberalization of the South’s racial regime, which if anything became even more entrenched during this era. This perhaps-surprising proposition may be illustrated by an examination of two showcase New Deal programs: the TVA and the GI Bill.

Keywords: New Deal; American South; infrastructure; TVA; GI Bill (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N12 N62 N92 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-08
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www-siepr.stanford.edu/repec/sip/08-042.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sip:dpaper:08-042

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Discussion Papers from Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Anne Shor ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).