Final answer:
Alfred E. Smith, Robert F. Wagner, and Frances Perkins facilitated key changes in America, with Perkins significantly impacting the New Deal as Secretary of Labor. She oversaw major programs and advocated for laws that advanced labor and women's rights in the 1930s. Their united efforts helped to reshape the federal government's role in the economy and establish a lasting political legacy for the Democratic Party.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alfred E. Smith, Robert F. Wagner, and Frances Perkins were instrumental in creating significant changes in America during the early 20th century. Frances Perkins, as the Secretary of Labor and the first female cabinet member, played a pivotal role in the development of the New Deal and its associated social reforms. Her work included securing organized labor support and navigating relationships with business leaders to stimulate the economy on a far larger scale than previously considered under the Hoover administration. She was particularly involved with administrating the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Public Works Administration (PWA), National Recovery Administration (NRA), and the Social Security Act, taking great pride in advocating for minimum wage statutes and the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Perkins's approach to women's issues was multifaceted—supportive of revolutionary change while recognizing differences in labor market needs that led her to favor laws protecting women through maximum hour regulations, a stance that occasionally put her at odds with other feminists. Nonetheless, her impact on labor and women's advancement during the highly masculine climate of the 1930s was profound. Robert F. Wagner, on the other hand, was known for the Wagner Act, which established the National Labor Relations Board and greatly empowered unionized labor in the United States.
The dynamics of these reforms show how the New Deal fundamentally shifted expectations of federal government involvement in the economy, thereby securing the support of diverse groups and consolidating a voting bloc that shaped the Democratic Party's electoral successes for decades. These efforts preserved the Constitution and expanded democratic principles during a time when other countries succumbed to radical ideologies and authoritarian governments.