The New Deal, spearheaded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, ushered in an era of a much more active federal government that followed Keynesian economic theory. This new approach focused on using government spending and financial regulation to stimulate economic activity and reduce unemployment during the Great Depression. Programs such as the Social Security Act, the Works Progress Administration, and the Tennessee Valley Authority were all part of FDR's New Deal that sought to promote economic recovery by providing jobs, reforming banking practices, and offering relief to those in need.