<P> The New Deal expanded the role of the federal government, particularly to help the poor, the unemployed, youth, the elderly and stranded rural communities . The Hoover administration started the system of funding state relief programs, whereby the states hired people on relief . With the CCC in 1933 and the WPA in 1935, the federal government now became involved in directly hiring people on relief in granting direct relief or benefits . Total federal, state and local spending on relief rose from 3.9% of GNP in 1929 to 6.4% in 1932 and 9.7% in 1934--the return of prosperity in 1944 lowered the rate to 4.1% . In 1935--1940, welfare spending accounted for 49% of the federal, state and local government budgets . In his memoirs, Milton Friedman said that the New Deal relief programs were an appropriate response . He and his wife were not on relief, but they were employed by the WPA as statisticians . Friedman said that programs like the CCC and WPA were justified as temporary responses to an emergency . Friedman said that Roosevelt deserved considerable credit for relieving immediate distress and restoring confidence . </P> <P> In a survey of economic historians conducted by Robert Whaples, Professor of Economics at Wake Forest University, anonymous questionnaires were sent to members of the Economic History Association . Members were asked to disagree, agree, or agree with provisos with the statement that read: "Taken as a whole, government policies of the New Deal served to lengthen and deepen the Great Depression". While only 6% of economic historians who worked in the history department of their universities agreed with the statement, 27% of those that work in the economics department agreed . Almost an identical percent of the two groups (21% and 22%) agreed with the statement "with provisos" (a conditional stipulation) while 74% of those who worked in the history department and 51% in the economic department disagreed with the statement outright . </P> <P> From 1933 to 1941, the economy expanded at an average rate of 7.7% per year . Despite high economic growth, unemployment rates fell slowly . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Unemployment rate </Th> <Th> 1933 </Th> <Th> 1934 </Th> <Th> 1935 </Th> <Th> 1936 </Th> <Th> 1937 </Th> <Th> 1938 </Th> <Th> 1939 </Th> <Th> 1940 </Th> <Th> 1941 </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Workers in job creation programs counted as unemployed </Td> <Td> 24.9% </Td> <Td> 21.7% </Td> <Td> 20.1% </Td> <Td> 16.9% </Td> <Td> 14.3% </Td> <Td> 19.0% </Td> <Td> 17.2% </Td> <Td> 14.6% </Td> <Td> 9.9% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Workers in job creation programs counted as employed </Td> <Td> 20.6% </Td> <Td> 16.0% </Td> <Td> 14.2% </Td> <Td> 9.9% </Td> <Td> 9.1% </Td> <Td> 12.5% </Td> <Td> 11.3% </Td> <Td> 9.5% </Td> <Td> 8.0% </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who did the new deal help the least