The Great Depression was a worldwide event. Why is Hoover castigated and Roosevelt lauded?

Question

Here is the crux of the matter. I have asked some history buff friends of mine who love FDR why he is lauded when the depression lasted until the US switched to a wartime economy, so his economic policies to fight the depression didn't work. It was the war that got the US out of the depression.

Their replies are usually "well he gave the people hope" and "it was a worldwide depression so he couldn't get us out of it". That being the case, why is Hoover blamed so much when it was a worldwide depression?

Answer 1

Roosevelt is lauded because he treated the Depression as a public relations problem. He gave Americans hope, if not much else. The depression was still going on in 1936 and he got re-elected. It was still going on in 1940 and he got re-elected. He understood public relations. And since he "tried", history views him kindly, even though he didn't succeed and his attempts laid the foundation for the growing welfare state America is becoming.

Hoover made some attempts and they too failed. And of course, how could he have succeeded? It was a world-wide depression, brought on largely by the treatment of the losers of WWI. Prior to the depression, Hoover was lauded in Europe as a great humanitarian because he helped feed the starving in Europe after WWI. But when America was in trouble, he didn't know what to do. In Europe, he used America's wealth to help. But when America lost its wealth he didn't have the answers.

Hoover tried a little and failed, he is castigated. FDR tried a lot and failed, he is lauded.

Answer 2

A very reasonable question and a very cogent analysis. My take on this is as follows:

a) Hoover was in office when the Depression started and FDR when it ended. Presidents tend to get the credit or blame for what goes on in the economy whether they deserve it or not.

b) Yes Hoover, in keeping with prevailing economic orthodoxy and governmental practice, did not do very much whilst FDR was vigorous in his actions. Actions look good, whether or not they worked.

c) Most academic historians tilt towards the left side of the political spectrum and thus have given a better press to the liberal Democrat FDR rather than conservative Republican Hoover.

Answer 3

Kevin, you are absolutely correct when you say that it was World War II which brought the US out of the Depression. Every statistical analysis of the economy of the 1930s will back you up.

But that does mean that FDR did nothing. He instituted dramatic, substantial economic reforms which benefited millions of Americans. Some, like Social Security and FDIC are still in place and helping people today.

Hoover, on the other hand, instituted or backed policies which actually made the Depression worse. And he was so dead set against deficit spending that he refused assistance programs which were desperately needed.

Was FDR perfect? No, he made some serious mistakes (court-packing and 1937 economic reforms come to mind). But most of his decisions were correct and did improve the country.

Answer 4

There's a deal of truth in your assertion that Work War II was a help, but the primaray reason why Hoover is castigated (as were his contemporaries overseas) was that he didn't believe that the government could (or would, or should, depending on whom you read) interfere with the 'natural' cycles that had led to world-wide unemployment.

The real genies was John Maynard Keynes, who pointed out that the economy could settle at *any* level of equilibrium including one that did not include full employment, and advocated that government could play a role by spending (including deficit spending) in order to 'prime the pump.' Roosevelt was one of the first world leaders to accept Keynes's analysis and put it into action - and then of course the government got into deficit spending de facto because of World War II.

Answer 5

See the article in wikipedia on Hoover, there's a section discussing his role. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Hoover

I think you might see that he is criticized for not having responded early enough and thoroughly enough, whereas Roosevelt is seen as "coming to the rescue" of the people with much larger relief efforts.

So the issue really is not over who caused the Depression as far as comparing these guys goes, but rather over who did more to provide relief and recovery. Hoover did in fact respond, did in fact provide relief, but in comparison it was Roosevelt who was more effective.