Civil Works Administration

Definition

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was a short-lived New Deal agency established in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide emergency employment and economic relief during the Great Depression. It was designed to create temporary jobs for millions of unemployed Americans through the construction of public works projects.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The CWA was established in November 1933 as a temporary measure to provide immediate employment during the harsh winter months.
2. The CWA was designed to create jobs quickly, with the goal of employing up to 4 million people within a few weeks.
3. The CWA funded a wide range of public works projects, including the construction of roads, schools, parks, and other infrastructure.
4. The CWA was administered at the local level, with state and local governments responsible for identifying and overseeing projects.
5. The CWA was discontinued in March 1934, as the economy began to show signs of recovery and the focus shifted to longer-term public works programs.

Review Questions

• Explain the purpose and goals of the Civil Works Administration (CWA) within the context of the First New Deal.
  • The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was a key component of the First New Deal, established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 to provide immediate employment and economic relief during the Great Depression. The CWA was designed to quickly create temporary jobs for millions of unemployed Americans through the construction of various public works projects, such as building roads, schools, and other infrastructure. The primary goals of the CWA were to stimulate the economy, alleviate the hardships of the unemployed, and lay the groundwork for longer-term public works programs like the Public Works Administration (PWA) and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA).
• Describe the structure and administration of the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and how it differed from other New Deal agencies.
  • The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was unique among New Deal agencies in its decentralized structure and local administration. Unlike the centralized approach of some other programs, the CWA was implemented at the state and local levels, with governments responsible for identifying and overseeing projects. This allowed for a more rapid deployment of jobs and a more tailored response to the specific needs of communities. However, this decentralized model also presented challenges in terms of coordination and oversight, as the CWA lacked the bureaucratic infrastructure of larger New Deal agencies like the Public Works Administration (PWA) or the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA).
• Analyze the short-term impact and ultimate discontinuation of the Civil Works Administration (CWA), and how it paved the way for future New Deal programs.
  • The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was a short-lived but impactful program that provided immediate employment and economic relief during the depths of the Great Depression. While the CWA was successful in quickly creating millions of jobs through public works projects, it was designed as a temporary measure and was discontinued in March 1934 as the economy began to show signs of recovery. The discontinuation of the CWA, however, did not signal the end of the New Deal's efforts to address unemployment and economic hardship. Instead, the CWA's legacy lived on through the longer-term public works programs of the Public Works Administration (PWA) and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), which built upon the CWA's model and continued to provide employment and infrastructure development. The CWA's rapid implementation and local administration also informed the design of future New Deal initiatives, demonstrating the importance of a decentralized, community-based approach to economic recovery.

Related terms

New Deal: The New Deal was a series of domestic programs implemented in the United States during the 1930s by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression.

Public Works Administration (PWA): The Public Works Administration (PWA) was a New Deal agency established in 1933 to stimulate the economy through the construction of public works projects such as bridges, dams, and public buildings.

Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA): The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) was a New Deal agency created in 1933 to provide direct relief and work relief to the unemployed through grants to state and local governments.