The Great Depression: Hoover Versus Roosevelt

The Great Depression occurred in the 1930s with President Hoover as the starting president. Drought, overproduction of goods, stock speculation and consumer debt were all a huge contribution to this sorrowful time. President Hoover tried to enforce a financial bailout program to struggling companies while President Roosevelt created an entire plan dedicated to ensuring American’s would stop going hungry. Although President Hoover took immediate action trying to ‘fix’ the problems leading up to the depression, his unprecedented yet somewhat realistic goals did not go according to plan. President Roosevelt really amped up the lifestyle of families suffering during the great depression through his New Deal Policy. Although Hoover’s effort to diminish the issues everyone faced during the Great Depression seemed to stem from good intentions, it’s obvious that Franklin D. Roosevelt’s approach to how the Great Depression could be resolved was the most effective.

President Hoover was completely surprised by the Great Depression. At this point in time, no president had experienced something as debilitating as the Great Depression, so cutting him some slack on his actions needs to be a priority. At first, President Hoover heavily relied on the belief that things would naturally fall back into place. When prosperity was not restored, he really called on the community for voluntary cooperation between all types of businesses to help maintain wages and employment. Despite President Hoover suggesting all businesses maintain their wage rates, businesses were in a panic and cutting employees hours and pay rates left and right. President Hoover could see from the Buescher interview that people needed more than minimal finances to not only survive, but to also support a thriving family. The Buescher interview breaks your heart in the same ways we see our immigrants and even each other flailing to survive today. We work slightly above average minimum wages with our degrees in hand or we fight tooth and nail to sustain without a degree because we simply can’t afford to stay in school. Today, there are so many governmental finances that get involved and set up resources that really help in times of need for those of us struggling to survive financially. Emergency cash funds, snap benefits, medicaid, and many more government resources we utilize in today’s economy could have been implemented during Hoover’s term if he would’ve been involved in more systematic ways. Instead, he let the government take a back seat assuming the community could volunteer their way out of the problem. The Beuschers’ experiences through the Great Depression could easily have been persuading to Hoover’s ideals. The Beuscher family was very large with two working parents and eleven children. If President Hoover would have continued to push businesses during the start of the Great Depression to keep wages and working hours the same, the Beuscher family could’ve easily helped each other survive with the number of working family members they had under one roof. Because of all of the savings, although they would have to suffer through cramped spaces and little privacy as individuals for some time, they would easily be able to come out on top through the depression and it’s doubtful that it would’ve lasted an entire decade. Additionally, persuading the government to step in sooner and provide relief would have been an ideal action taken on President Hoover’s part. It’s apparent that he believed in a limited role for government and worried that excessive federal intervention posed a threat to capitalism and individualism. He felt that assistance should be handled on a local, voluntary basis.

But even today as a full time student, depending on other financial sources is something a large majority of students are prone to, since working less is the priority if we want the most out of our education. With six months of reduced rent even at a job above the average minimum wage, we can spend in a healthier way and build up a savings that will last for some time after our degree is accomplished. This is what the Beuscher family had in mind when moving everyone in together. I think Hoover’s recommendations would have went farther potentially if the communities decided to listen.

It was pretty clear that Franklin D. Roosevelt understood improvements produced throughout the Great Depression would be long term. It did not seem like there was an overnight solution from the get-go, so making a policy that would explain how the US could recover from such a detrimental experience seemed like a really thoughtful idea. The New Deal was a series of programs set by Franklin D. Roosevelt that responded to the needs of the people through relief, reform, and recovery from the Great Depression. So knowing it was going to be a long term goal for the United States to recover, Franklin D. Roosevelt still acted fairly quickly to stabilize the economy and provide jobs to those who were suffering. He was more thorough and intentional in his attempts to help out regarding the several issues happening post-war and in the Great Depression and he had a great stance on giving the people resources they needed to be more sustained and life balanced. Additionally, his fireside chats were used to build support during the Great Depression and the enactment of New Deal Policies. The relief checks that the new deal offered, although gave families a sense of neediness they weren’t used to, also provided stability to those who had suffered far too long. In the case of the Beuscher family, although admittedly their pride gets in the way sometimes of accepting the relief funds, eventually the family was able to come to terms with accepting help and letting their ego down easily. This alone was proof that Roosevelt’s new deal policy was working. People were surviving again. Although it’s hard to imagine a time not in the Depression for a family like the Buescher’s, Franklin D. Roosevelt provided a prompt solution for a long term disaster through his new enforced policy. President Roosevelt really cared about the people and the communities in which they lived. He fought hard to help keep their life livable by raising wages and cutting back on work-day hours. Although the Buescher family heavily struggled during the Great Depression, FDR’s honorable fight showed positive results later as the Buescher interview states they were finally able to manage some of their debt and focus on saving for their future. You see the Buechers start off in a pretty stable financial situation with two working payments then later they financially crash and burn through the Depression trying to support each other plus eleven kids. Toward the beginning of World War II, things start looking up for them again, showing the New Deal policy in full progressive effect.

Fighting a Great Depression is no easy task. As President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt really shined by refusing to let the United States suffer for any longer than when President Hoover was in office. President Franklin understood that if all employers would act together to shorten hours and raise wages, it would be easier to put people back to work. He knew no employer would suffer, because the level of competitive cost would advance by the same amount for all. Roosevelt confidently ran his presidency while helping the United States gain more control over their life again.