Public Works Administration (PWA)

Definition

The PWA was a New Deal agency created in 1933 to reduce unemployment through the construction of highways and public buildings.

Analogy

Think of the PWA as a big, national construction company. During the Great Depression, it was like hiring thousands of people to build a giant Lego city, providing jobs and creating useful infrastructure at the same time.

Related terms

New Deal: A series of programs and projects instituted during the Great Depression by President Franklin D. Roosevelt that aimed to restore prosperity to Americans.

Great Depression: A severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s, beginning in the United States.

Infrastructure: The basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.