Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Bell Riots
3. What Were The Riots For?
The demands that the District residents make include the closure of the Sanctuary Districts, jobs for those inside, and the reinstation of the Federal Employment Act. This act, repealed sometime before 2024 in Star Trek, was based on the real Employment Act of 1946.
The Act was conceived to make the Federal Government responsible for halting inflation and seeking to provide full employment for the populace. This Act was born in the post-WWII years. The War had seen full employment via wartime industries, though with that work drying up and millions of soldiers about to head home, a new policy was required.
The Act as conceived never made it to law. There is currently a version of the Act in place, though the wording 'full employment' was removed. The Conservative Coalition of Northern Republicans and Southern Democrats pressured that the Bill proposed would include more general wording, effectively removing the responsibility from the Government, and replacing it with a set of guidelines to aid in economic spending.
While the Act is far from perfect, it does inspire any Government to continue concentrating on employing the population. With it repealed, the United States of 2024 in Deep Space Nine simply had no reason to do anything to change.