The Great Depression was the most severe economic situation the United States had even seen. From 1929 to 1941, the United States were in very hard times. Stock market crashes, bank failures, over dependence on durable goods, and many other reasons where why the U.S. economy took so much of a turn. During this time of depression, there were two main presidents. Herbert Hoover, a republican who had grown up with very little, and Franklin Roosevelt, a democrat who was given wealth and many opportunities. Roosevelt's policies towards helping the depression were considered much stronger, as with the New Deal, and was considered the better president during this time of need. Although Roosevelt's New Deal did not end the Great Depression, it was a success in creating new programs, and restoring public confidence that brought relief to most, if not all of Americans.
Herbert Hoover was elected into office from 1929 to 1933, and was essentially looked at as useless, or even hurt the United States in the Great Depression. Hoover had believed strongly in government leadership and action in economic downturns. Hoover had pressured businesses to keep their wages high, increased government spending, and implemented public works programs. These actions had sunk the U.S. economy deeper into depression than originally thought. Hoover was also a firm believer in no direct relief, and no aid to the unemployed. The Buescher family, which were mainly a recently unemployed family, had it struggled during the depression. David Shannon stated in the interview “Dubuque railroad shops when they closed in 1931. He was recalled to work at the shops after he had been unemployed for 4 years.” President Hoover had increased government spending and implemented public works programs to get people out of unemployment, such as Mr. Buescher. In President Hoover's Statement on Unemployment Relief, he had stated, “To reinforce this work at the opening of Congress I recommended large appropriations for loans to rehabilitate agriculture from the drought and provision of further large sums for public works and construction in the drought territory which would give employment in further relief to the whole situation.” This idea was in place to get people working to help both the economy crisis, and unemployment while bettering public works within cities throughout the United States. Although Hoover did not believe in giving direct relief to citizens in need, he did believe in government organizations assisting them. “The Red Cross established committees in every drought county, comprising the leading citizens of those counties, with instructions to them that they were to prevent starvation among their neighbors and, if the problem went beyond local resources, the Red Cross would support them,” stated Hoover in his Unemployment Relief Speech. The Buescher family was a prime example of families that needed help in hard times. If Hoover could have used their experience to support his ideas, he would have realized that the Red Cross helped for a very minimal amount of time, and the only way to help these people struggling was to give federal aid. If he were to use their experiences to support his ideas, he would have explained on how these public works jobs very beneficial to not only the city, but the amount of jobs it had created.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected into office from 1933 until his death in 1945. Roosevelt was known as the president who led the United States out of great depression through as series of programs and reforms better known as the New Deal. He is also famous for his “First 100 days”. During FDR’s two terms in office, he pushed legislation through Congress that set a new standard for government intervention in the economy. In FDR’s New Deal he fought poverty with the creations of the TVA, NRA, AAA, CCC, PWA, FDIC, CWA, and Social Security. The Buescher was a family heavily affected by the Great Depression. With at one point in time, having 13 people live in a home with only 7 rooms. They also had very little income, as President Hoover did almost nothing to help these people in times of suffering. FDR changed that by providing federal aid, and work to those who qualified for it. He stated in his National Recovery Administration speech “It was a vital necessity to restore purchasing power by reducing the debt and interest charges upon our people, but while we were helping people to save their credit it was at the same time absolutely essential to do something about the physical needs of hundreds of thousands who were in dire straits at that very moment. Municipal and State aid were being stretched to the limit.” The Buescher interview can be used as proof that this new deal was working, David Shannon states in his interview,“but finally, after about 2 months, a grocery order of $4.50 was granted.” This order was for the family to obtain groceries so that they could provide for their family and stay on their feet. FDR also stated in his NRA speech, “we have put 300,000 young men into practical and useful work in our forests and to prevent flood and soil erosion. The wages they earn are going in greater part to the support of the nearly one million people who constitute their families.” And again formally stated in David Shannon’s interview with Mr. Buescher, “The family received food orders for only a few months, as Mr. Beuscher was soon assigned to the CWA [Civil Works Administration] Eagle Point Park project as a laborer, earning 40¢ an hour. Later he worked on the lock and dam project at 50¢ an hour.” Mr. Buescher could work for one of the Government created works, and started earning money again to provide for his family. This interview with the Buescher family can show that the New Deal, was slowly, but surely making progress on the great depression. It shows that people were getting back into work, the economy was slowly recovering, and that the unemployment rate was decreasing from its previous 25%. FDR was having a small, but huge impact with his New Deal, as shown with the better life quality within the Buescher Family.
I strongly believe that Franklin Roosevelt had the more effective approach to the Great Depression. While Hoover had some policies that had helped, most of his time as the President made the economy go even further down. He had believed that the role of a government in a depression should be limited as it poses a threat to capitalism, but this further worsened the situation. During Hoover’s term in office, unemployment rates rose from 3 percent to 23 percent. FDR created many policies that are still around and lively today, such as Social Security, the FDIC, and the NLRB. The New Deal would provide relief and jobs to the suffering and reinvent America’s capitalist economy. Roosevelt had put heavier taxes on the wealthy, new controls on all banks and public utilities, and started a work relief program for the unemployed. This was able to stabilize the United States at the time, and slowly move us out of depression. Overall, FDR had a much more effective approach to the great depression by creating different policies and reforms.