History

Discussion #7: Where should we place the blame for the Great Depression?

Where should we place the blame? Economists believe the Great Depression was caused by the weaknesses in the 1920s economy, but the person whose name will be forever linked to the depression is President Herbert Hoover. Personally blaming him for the crisis, Americans started to call the shantytowns set up by unemployed people “Hoovervilles.”

In order to prepare for this discussion forum: line-height:

Review and identify the relevant sections of Chapter 25 that address these topics and support your discussion.
Read the linked essay DEBATING THE PAST: CAUSES OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION: Where Historians Disagree
Read America’s Great Depression: www.amatecon.com/gd/gdcandc.html
Read Digital History: Sections Why it Happened to President Hoover http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/teachers/lesson_plans/pdfs/unit9.pdf
After you have completed your readings post your response to only ONE of the following questions.

Hoover’s presidency will be forever shadowed by the Great Depression. Is it fair to blame Hoover’s actions or inaction for the Great Depression?
Should we compare Presidents Hoover and President Roosevelt’s attempts to deal with the depression?
In order to earn the full 100 points (100%) for this assignment, you must:

Directly and completely answer at least ONE question. Please make sure that you clearly indicate which question you have chosen to discuss. Clearly and accurately explain your answer based on factual information contained in the assigned readings. (80 points)
Students must respond to at least one fellow student’s posting explaining the reason(s) for their agreement or disagreement, with the arguments that have been presented, in order to get full credit for the discussion. (20 points)
When posting your response to a fellow student’s comment, please try whenever possible, to select the question that you did not address for your discussion.
Make sure that all statements are supported with facts from the reading selections.
Reminder: Please make sure to comply with all Netiquette Guidelines listed in the Getting Started module.

ANSWER

Blame for The Great Depression

Discussion #7: Where should we place the blame for the Great Depression?

Hoover’s presidency will be forever shadowed by the Great Depression. Is it fair to blame Hoover’s actions or inaction for the Great Depression?

It is fair to blame Hoover’s actions and inactions for the Great Depression. While he was not directly responsible for the beginning of the crisis, President Hoover like his successor, President Roosevelt had the obligation to formulate policies that were meant to drive the country out of the depression. However, he failed to make bold steps that would have changed the trajectory of the Great Depression. Hoover’s belief that the Federal government did not have a right to force people to do anything led to most of his lack of bold steps to counter the crisis. He believed that the government would do more harm to liberties than help the economy if it devised policies to tackle the Great Depression. Instead of formulating policies to ensure Americans stayed in jobs and had relief, Hoover asked business leaders to continue production and not to lay workers voluntarily.

Hoover’s inaction escalated the effects of the Great Depression making it worse. Hoover did not believe that the American Economy had a fundamental flaw that needed presidential leadership to address. His mischaracterization of the situation as just lack of confidence in the economy made him do nothing even as the conditions got worse. Hoover declined to approve direct relief to millions of unemployed Americans asking communities, neighbors, cities, and states to bear the burden. He even vetoed a bill that was meant to create thousands of jobs in the country hence denying jobless Americans desperately needed relief. Hoover’s desire to keep a balanced budget outweighed the responsibility he had to give relief to unemployed Americans. His belief in trickle-down success from businesses and corporations to ordinary Americans failed terribly to solve unemployment.