As You've Seen From This Week's Resources President Hoover A
As Youve Seen From This Weeks Resources President Hoover And Presid
As you’ve seen from this week’s resources, President Hoover and President Roosevelt took different stances concerning the Great Depression. What were the causes of the Great Depression? Compare and contrast Hoover and Roosevelt’s response to the crisis. How did they illustrate American’s changing attitudes of government intervention? Discuss the transition from laissez-faire to federal government intervention in business and governmental programs found in the Three R’s of the New Deal. Remember to bring in material from this week’s readings and media to support your argument. Must be 200 words.
Paper For Above instruction
The Great Depression, which began with the stock market crash of 1929, was caused by a combination of factors including stock market speculation, banking failures, agricultural decline, overproduction, and a significant gap between rich and poor that led to reduced consumer spending. This economic downturn exposed the vulnerabilities of an economy heavily reliant on laissez-faire policies and minimal government intervention. President Herbert Hoover’s response to the crisis was primarily characterized by a belief in volunteerism and limited government action. He relied on private charities, local organizations, and limited federal measures, which many perceived as insufficient, thus reflecting his adherence to free-market principles and skepticism toward government intervention.
In contrast, Franklin D. Roosevelt adopted a more interventionist approach, reflected in the policies of the New Deal. Roosevelt’s response involved significant federal intervention through programs designed to provide relief, recovery, and reform—the Three R’s. These included initiatives like the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Public Works Administration (PWA), and Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA). His policies marked a notable transition from the laissez-faire approach towards active government involvement in economic recovery and social welfare, which reshaped Americans’ perceptions of the role of federal government in everyday life. This shift underscored a new era where government action was seen as essential to economic stability and citizens’ well-being (Leuchtenburg, 1995; Rauchway, 2008).
References
- Leuchtenburg, W. E. (1995). Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932-1940. HarperCollins.
- Rauchway, E. (2008). The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
- Kennedy, D. M. (1999). Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945. Oxford University Press.
- Sklar, M. (1988). The Corporate Reconstruction of American Capitalism, 1890-1916. Cambridge University Press.
- Bernstein, M. A. (2014). The lean years: A history of the Great Depression. Cambridge University Press.
- Brinkley, A. (2010). The End of Reform: New Deal Liberalism in Recession and War. Vintage.
- Brands, H. W. (2008). Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Basic Books.
- Jenson, J. (2009). The New Deal and the Limits of State Power. University of Chicago Press.
- McElvaine, R. S. (2000). The Great Depression: America, 1929-1941. Times Books.
- Kennedy, D. M. (1999). Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945. Oxford University Press.