Progressivism is an umbrella label for a wide range of economic, political, social, and moral reforms. These included efforts to outlaw the sale of alcohol; regulate child labor and sweatshops; scientifically manage natural resources; insure pure and wholesome water and milk; Americanize immigrants or restrict immigration altogether; and bust or regulate trusts. Drawing support from the urban, college-educated middle class, Progressive reformers sought to eliminate corruption in government, regulate business practices, address health hazards, improve working conditions, and give the public more direct control over government through direct primaries to nominate candidates for public office, direct election of Senators, the initiative, referendum, and recall, and women's suffrage.
President Hoover believed that the depression was caused by problems than the U.S. economy, and that these problems were beyond U.S. control. He also believed that the key to recovery was confidence in the economy. Factories and businesses tried to maintain confidence.
Many Americans blamed Hoover's passive attitude for the Great Depression. Feeling the pressure, Hoover finally began to act. The government, in an effort to create more jobs, built new public buildings, roads, parks, and dams. A Presidents Emergency Committee on Employment advised local relief programs. The Hawley-Smoot tariff was passed by Congress in 1930 to protect domestic industries from foreign competitors. However, these tariffs backfired European nations countered the tariffs by increasing their tariffs on American goods. In 1932, Hoover set up the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), which gave government credit to banks so that they could extend loans to clients. Many people felt that this measure did more to bring prosperity to the bankers rather than to the ordinary citizens.
Hoover believed that direct federal intervention would create a large bureaucracy. After much disapproval from the American public, Hoover finally budged. He allowed state funds to provide relief for the unemployed.
FDR was ready to experiment, unlike Hoover. Because of his own illness and the giant gap between the wealthy and the poor, FDR had compassion for the ordinary citizens of America. FDR knew that Americans were searching for a change and that s exactly what he gave them.
FDR communicated with the public by radio every week and assured them that recovery was near, thus, increasing their confidence. During the first one hundred days of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s term of office, he feverishly pushed program after program through Congress to provide relief, create jobs, and stimulate economic recovery. These programs were based on federal agencies that had controlled the economy during WWI or on programs started by Hoover or by state governors. FDR s new programs were known as the "New Deal."
FDR capitalized on what was already started but because of his ability to communicate with the people and Congress the United States pulled out of a serious crisis.
FDR administration left a very large beauracy that is still in our government today. Many Presidents after have tried and failed to cut the governmental beauracy. This is a major difference of philosophies between the political parties.
2007-03-27 10:01:30
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answer #1
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answered by Catie I 5
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I completely agree with the answer given above, and she does an excellent job of giving you the history. In case you missed the point, though, the point is that Roosevelt was a "big government" president (in fact, the last true "big government" president).
The failure/cost of these grand entitlement programs reflected poorly on the Democratic party in general and the conservatives made their platform one of "small government" in an attempt to capture the vote of those who either did not avail themselves of the entitlement programs or felt they were ineffectual.
2007-03-27 11:30:05
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answer #2
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answered by threeblahs 2
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2016-11-23 19:53:07
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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