Particularly the Great Depression, which lasted from about 1929 to 1939. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the president during the depression, was the focal point in lifting the nation out of the horrible depression. “Roosevelt acted quickly to try to stabilize the economy and provide jobs and relief to those who were suffering. Over the next eight years, the government instituted a series of experimental projects and programs, collectively known as the New Deal, that aimed to restore some degree of dignity and prosperity to many Americans (History.com).” Fast forward more than seventy years later, America is in a crisis not as devastating as the Depression, but still a crisis. 45.3 million Americans currently live below the poverty line, meaning that 45.3 million people in the United States are currently poor, or the equivalent of 14.5% of America. Of these 45.3 million, 16.4 million of those living in poverty are children (18 years and/or younger), or 22% of children today. As history has shown us many times, every problem has a solution: just defeat the Great Depression and poverty could even be subjugated. First, killing two birds with one stone by decreasing poverty and ultimately unemployment means creating new jobs. Rebecca Vallas and Melissa Boteach of the Center for American Progress have formulated some ideal ideas for liberating us