To what extent did the New Deal change the US political system?

The question requires that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the suggestion that the New Deal changed the US political system. Consequences of the New Deal may extend beyond the timeframe but they must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may refer to the extent to which citizens began to depend upon the national, rather than state and local governments for problem-solving and economic intervention; the growth of the federal bureaucracy and regulatory function; the establishment of a Democratic party coalition that would control the three branches of government for several decades; the trend toward the president and cabinet surpassing Congress as a major force in drafting legislation. Other relevant factors may be addressed, for example the fact that the New Deal had little impact in advancing the political rights of African Americans, but with a focus on the issue in the question. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the suggestion that the New Deal changed the US political system. This was not often chosen but produced a wide range of quality in the responses. While a few outstanding essays provided sound examples of political change, there were many essays that simply described New Deal programmes without differentiating between the economic and/or political change they caused.