Unequal by Design: A Historical Perspective on Economic Inequality Across Communities

August 4, 2025

Month 4: The New Deal’s Mixed Legacy

The fourth section of the Economic Inequality series highlights three areas where the New Deal’s impact was uneven: (1) Social Security and labor protections excluded agricultural and domestic workers, (2) FHA policies and redlining fueled wealth gaps and segregation, and (3) agricultural reforms displaced small farmers and rural tenants. Although the New Deal expanded federal crisis intervention, it entrenched systemic exclusions.

Recent actions under the Trump administration—such as weakening Social Security, affordable housing, and rural development—mirror these historic inequities. Recognizing these patterns is key to crafting more equitable policies today.

Download the full paper here.