This seminar examines how the political and institutional order forged by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal shaped American governance across the twentieth century. FDR’s expansion of federal power, the rise of the administrative state, and the construction of a durable Democratic coalition, the seminar traces the arc of New Deal liberalism through Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society, which sought to complete and radicalize Roosevelt’s vision through civil rights legislation, Medicare and Medicaid, and the War on Poverty, even as the Vietnam War strained its coalition and its finances. Jimmy Carter’s presidency, often read as a moment of reckoning for New Deal liberalism amid stagflation, energy crises, and a shifting political landscape that set the stage for the Reagan era.

This program will be conducted as a Socratic discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. All attendees will receive a Letter of Attendance at the end of the seminar.