This work investigates the efficacy and long-term impact of the New Deal programs on the structure of American governance and economic policy. Morton Keller, a distinguished historian of American political and legal institutions, utilizes a synthesis of primary legislative records and historical analysis to argue that the New Deal represented a fundamental shift in the relationship between the federal government and the private sector. The text examines how these policies addressed the immediate crises of the Great Depression while simultaneously establishing the framework for the modern American administrative state.

Scholars frequently cite this text as a concise and analytical resource for understanding the institutional changes brought about by the New Deal. It is often utilized in academic settings to provide students with a structured overview of the political and economic complexities of the era.