Works Progress Administration
- Works Progress Administration
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(abbr the WPA)
a US government programme (1935–43) established by President Franklin D Roosevelt as part of his New Deal(1). Its name was later changed to the Works Projects Administration. It created millions of jobs for unemployed people during the Great Depression, mainly in building and the arts.
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▪ United States history
also called (1939–43) Work Projects Administration
work program for the unemployed that was created in 1935 under U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's (
Roosevelt, Franklin D.)
New Deal. While critics called the WPA an extension of the dole or a device for creating a huge patronage army loyal to the Democratic Party, the stated purpose of the program was to provide useful work for millions of victims of the Great Depression and thus to preserve their skills and self-respect. The economy would in turn be stimulated by the increased purchasing power of the newly employed, whose wages under the program ranged from $15 to $90 per month.
During its eight-year existence the WPA put some 8.5 million people to work (over 11 million were unemployed in 1934) at a cost to the federal government of approximately $11 billion. The agency's construction projects produced more than 650,000 miles (1,046,000 km) of roads; 125,000 public buildings; 75,000 bridges; 8,000 parks; and 800 airports. The Federal Arts Project, Federal Writers' Project, and Federal Theater Project—all under WPA aegis—employed thousands of artists, writers, and actors in such cultural programs as the creation of art work for public buildings, the documentation of local life, and the organization of community theatres. The WPA also sponsored the National Youth Administration, which sought part-time jobs for young people.
In 1939 the Works Progress Administration altered its name to Work Projects Administration. In that year increasing charges of mismanagement and of abuse of the program by workers led to a reduction in appropriations, and a strike by construction workers against wage cuts was unsuccessful. In 1943, with the virtual elimination of unemployment by a wartime economy, the WPA was terminated.
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Universalium.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Works Progress Administration — The Works Progress Administration (renamed in 1939 the Work Projects Administration; WPA) was the largest New Deal agency, employing millions of people and affecting most every locality in the United States, especially rural and western mountain… … Wikipedia
Works Progress Administration — El Works Projects Administration ó WPA (creada bajo el nombre de Works Progress Administration) era la principal agencia instituida en el marco del New Deal. Se creó el 6 de mayo de 1935, por una orden presidencial (lo financió el Congreso, pero… … Wikipedia Español
Works Progress Administration — Work Projects Administration La Works Projects Administration ou WPA (créée sous le nom de Works Progress Administration) était la principale agence instituée dans le cadre du New Deal. Elle fut créée le 6 mai 1935, par un ordre présidentiel (le… … Wikipédia en Français
Works Progress Administration — Der WPA Künstler Alfred Catagne porträtiert WPA Straßenarbei … Deutsch Wikipedia
Works Progress Administration — (WPA) The Works Progress Administration, which became the Works Project Administration from 1939 onward, was established on 6 May 1935 with an initial appropriation of $4.8 billion to provide federal work relief, the largest single… … Historical Dictionary of the Roosevelt–Truman Era
Works Progress Administration — (WPA) An agency of the U.S. Government during the Great Depression of the 1930s and 1940s. Its Federal Art Project (FAP) is one of the federal entities which administered New Deal art programs. Its name was officially changed to the Works… … Glossary of Art Terms
(the) Works Progress Administration — the Works Progress Administration [the Works Progress Administration] (abbr the WPA) a US government programme (1935–43) established by President Franklin D Roosevelt as part of his ↑New Deal. Its name was later changed to the … Useful english dictionary
Works Projects Administration — Work Projects Administration La Works Projects Administration ou WPA (créée sous le nom de Works Progress Administration) était la principale agence instituée dans le cadre du New Deal. Elle fut créée le 6 mai 1935, par un ordre présidentiel (le… … Wikipédia en Français
Works Projects Administration — Der WPA Künstler Alfred Catagne porträtiert WPA Straßenarbeiter (1939) Die Works Progress Administration (später Works Projects Administration, abgekürzt WPA) war die größte Bundesbehörde der US … Deutsch Wikipedia
Works Progress Administration. — See WPA. * * * … Universalium
