The federal government adopted a number of initiatives under Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal to combat the economic crisis during the Great Depression. A number of ways set the New Deal apart from past government initiatives. First of all, it had a considerably wider range of initiatives that were more broad and ambitious in scope, aiming to address many facets of the economic crisis like unemployment, poverty, and financial instability. Second, a larger role for the federal government in the economy, with the government playing a more active role in controlling the economy and directly assisting people and businesses, was a hallmark of the New Deal.