In contemporary American political discourse, issues related to the scope, authority, and the cost of the federal government are perennially at the center of discussion. Any historical analysis of this topic points directly to the Great Depression, the "moment" to which most historians and...

Introduction -- Hard times from colonial to postrevolutionary America -- Hard times and the financial panics of 1819 and 1837 -- The panics of 1873 and 1893, and hard times in between -- Depressions and policy disputes in America, circa 1720-1928 -- The onset of the Great Depression -- The early...