A Fair Deal
In his 1946 State of the Union speech, president Harry Truman outlined his economic/social policies that would continue the tradition of his preceded Franklin D. Roosevelt New Deal. The Fair Deal would be immense amount of new legislative proposals to encourage a stronger nation based on the fundamental works of the "have-nots", such as the working class, the poor, the disabled, and minorities. In this address, Truman speaks to a very conservative congress that wants to dismantle the New Deal. The speech would be otherwise known as the "21 Points" speech. The measures Truman wanted to propose to congress in his "21 Points" speech included the following:
1.Major improvements in the coverage and adequacy of the unemployment compensation system.
Substantial increases in the minimum wage, together with broader coverage.
2.The maintenance and extension of price controls to keep down the cost of living in the transition to a peacetime economy.
3. A pragmatic approach towards drafting legislation eliminating wartime agencies and wartime controls, taking legal difficulties into account.
4.Legislation to ensure full employment.
5.Legislation to make the Fair Employment Practice Committee permanent.
6.The maintenance of sound industrial relations.
7.The extension of the United States Employment Service to provide jobs for demobilized military personnel.
8.Increased aid to farmers.
9.The removal of the restrictions on eligibility for voluntary enlistment and allowing the armed forces to enlist a greater number of volunteers.
10. The enactment of broad and comprehensive housing legislation.
11. The establishment of a single Federal research agency.
12. A major revision of the taxation system.
13. The encouragement of surplus-property disposal.
14. Greater levels of assistance to small businesses.
15. Improvements in federal aid to war veterans.
16. A major expansion of public works, conserving and building up natural resources.
17. The encouragement of post-war reconstruction and settling the obligations of the Lend-Lease Act.
18.The introduction of a decent pay scale for all Federal Government employees--executive, legislative, and judicial.
19. The promotion of the sale of ships to remove the uncertainty regarding the disposal of America’s large surplus tonnage following the end of hostilities.
20.Legislation to bring about the acquisition and retention of stock piles of materials necessary for meeting the defense needs of the nation.
21. Cleaning slums