Roosevelt Vs. Hoover
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Roosevelt and Hoover
The Great Depression drastically changed Americas definition of Liberalism. Prior to the onset of the depression, in the roaring twenties, policies of laissez-faire were considered liberal, radical, revolutionary, and even democratic. This was due to the fact that revolution was a horrifying notion and not until after the laissez-faire and the system of free market fails in the 1920s do people begin to look about for alternatives. The time when people starting to seek alternatives was at the onset of the depression when Americas political views drastically change. As the Great Depression, started in 1929, America began to view conservatives as following the policies of social Darwinism, laissez-faire, and having small governments. In contrast, liberals were seen as following polices of having more government regulation and large governments. Thus because the Great Depression started and Americas views of liberalism changed, Hoover was seen as a conservative and Franklin D. Roosevelt as a liberal despite occasional occasions where they supported polices not characterized as liberal or conservative.
Due to the fact that the Great Depression changed the definition of liberalism, President Herbert Hoover began as a liberal but by the end of his term was considered a conservative although occasionally advocating liberal policies. When Hoover came into office big business flourished attributable to prior Republican presidents of Harding and Coolidge. Hoover kept the government from intervening in the economy because of the success of the big businesses, the publics fear of revolution, and the public being contentment with the politics. In addition, the invention of the production line, which instigated the Second Industrial Revolution, allowed businessmen to prosper, and automobiles and electrical appliances become available to the public and ease the publics life. Thus this contributed to Americas success and auspicious attitude towards supporting the liberal policies of laissez- affaire in the 1920s
Contrarily before the Depression, there were signs that pointed to President Herbert Hoover becoming more conservative. Document A suggests that Herbert Hoover didnt want do be considered strictly laissez-faire. Document A proposes that Herbert Hoover wanted to liberalism to be found not ” in striving to spread bureaucracy but striving to set its bounds, ” but also wanted The United States to know that, ” he doesnt want to be misinterpreted as believing that the Untied States ins a free for all, or system of laissez-faire.” Hoover appeared as if he was less determined to preserve the capitalistic society of the 1920s seeing that he argued that capitalism also has social obligations. However, the success of the American economy under presidents Hading and Coolidge who believed in private interest beliefs required him to make sure that the lack of intervention in the economy would be maintained. Also Hoover began to sense of the public disapproval and transformation of the working masses and public views. The public mass began to start looking favorably on restriction of unfair business practices. This transformation of the public opinion gave president Hoover trouble since he wasnt completely dedicated to the private interest or public purpose. Document B shows this stating, “Economic depression cannot be cured by legislative action or executive pronouncement, and the best contribution of government lies in encouragement of this voluntary cooperation in the community.” This document shows that Hoover wasnt completely dedicated to one cause seeing that he advocated no legislative action but encouragement of cooperation. Document C continues this belief stating that he feels that if the individual can end the Depression but also assures the public that he will support job production if the situation would require it. Both Document B and C state that he believes in Laissez-faire as well as the transformation in the views of the working mass. Document B and C of Hoover are similar to document E, a speech by Franklin D Roosevelt, which states he wants a balanced budget but if starvation of the citizens occur he will appropriate the money. The balanced budget of Roosevelt is the one conservative point in his administration can be compared to the restriction of government by Hoover. But the fact is one can see through Document F that the need for government intervention and an unbalanced budget was necessary when the Depression occurred. However, despite a few efforts by Hoover to create jobs through legislation like the RFC and the Glass Steagall Act, Hoover still seemed unlike Roosevelt, who insisted in 1936 that The United States must never go back to supporting Conservatives who protected private interest unjustly as stated in Document G. Thus before the depression, there were signs that pointed to the fact that Hoover was becoming conservative.
In contrast Hoover did have few efforts of creating jobs when the Depression had the public with mounting discontent and pushing for public purpose reform. The fact remains that Americans still deemed Hoover as a conservative despite a few instances in the end of his term where he endorsed a series of measures that constituted unprecedented federal response to a nations economic crisis, such as the time Hoover signed a legislative that authorized the RFC to give 2 billion to state and local governments for job creating public works programs. At first Hoover obdurately held to his conviction that government could not and should not try to end the Depression as shown in Document B. In 1930, Hoover remained conservative. He rarely intervened in the economy and thus was considered a conservative despite being a liberal while supporting the same policies a few years before the onset of the depression. Even by 1931, Roosevelts liberal New Deal sharply contrasted Hoovers belief that the private individual can do more than the government to end the Depression as shown in Document C. Document C shows Hoovers conviction that prosperity would return to America. Roosevelt shared similar optimism, but the public supported Roosevelt more because he adapted to the demand for government intervention in the economy. Roosevelt worked hard to create reform compared to when Hoover responded the pubic demand in reluctance and only after the obvious failure of