Utah and the New Deal: An Economic Look into the State's Response to Federal Programs

Abstract

After the financial crash of 1929, the federal government implemented a series of policies and programs designed to help state governments resolve the unprecedented financial issues. During this time, there are reported discrepancies between what the states reported on its financials and the federal government reports. In addition, there is missing federal data for certain years. This paper examines the state of Utah and its response to the New Deal during the 1930s. Taxes implemented by the state are reviewed, as well as any controversial issues presented during this time. State financial data is then combined with federal data throughout the time period, as well as data from additional states. A regression analysis is then presented on variables that impact the per capita revenue for the state, determining what factors had the greatest impact on state revenue during the time period.