Final answer:
FDR implemented the New Deal to address the Great Depression and increased defense spending in preparation for war, leading to economic recovery and reduction in unemployment. These actions marked a major shift towards federal intervention in the economy and resulted in deficit spending.
Step-by-step explanation:
During his presidency, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) took various actions under his preparedness programs to bolster the United States both economically and militarily. Among these actions, FDR implemented the New Deal to alleviate the effects of the Great Depression by creating jobs and supporting economic recovery. Furthermore, as war loomed in Europe, FDR gradually began to increase military and defense spending to prepare for potential involvement, which contradicted initial efforts focusing on isolationism. Initially aimed at maintaining neutrality, aid was given to nations fighting totalitarianism, culminating in direct involvement in World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Roosevelt's policies reflected a significant shift from traditional fiscal conservatism, resulting in the federal government assuming a greater role in economic recovery and wartime production. The New Deal programs and later war-related spending initiatives were characterized by substantial government investment and intervention in the economy, leading to deficit spending but also economic growth and an unprecedented reduction in unemployment.