The Great Depression profoundly altered the lives and livelihood of virtually every American no matter their economic class. Some, like much of the upper classes, maintained their lifestyles to a great degree. The grown Middle Classes mostly maintained their status although many did experience privation. The vast population of working-class Americans, including native born whites, migrant blacks moving north, farmers and factory workers, immigrants, and women, however, bore the brunt of the most painful impacts of the Great Depression. The Great Depression forced Americans to consider, and reconsider, what they believed the relationship was and should be between citizens and the Government. The traditional view of this relationship was that of Herbert Hoover’s maintenance of laissez-faire policies of minimal government interference and activism. Franklin Roosevelt, running for the presidency in 1932 during the depth of the Depression however, campaigned on a platform of government action and direct intervention. These two views lay at the heart of how Americans view themselves and their government.
Review the presentation from Oct. 21, Week 6 Roaring into the 20 Century:
From Charlestons to Soup Kitchens
Read the documents in American Spirit, chapter 31, “Herbert Hoover
Clashes with Franklin Roosevelt,” and “Appraising Hoover,” pp. 601-607
(Required)
The Question I am asking you to consider: Using the readings and information you’ve read regarding the Great Depression, what is the relationship between citizens and their government?
As part of your introduction, briefly summarize what the Great Depression was; why it occurred, when it started. Since I’m asking you to ultimately take a position on a specific issue, please try to create an argumentative thesis to end your introduction that tells me what it is you are going to argue.
For the main body of this essay, summarize, compare, and contrast Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt’s views on the role, functions and obligations of the Government during a severe Depression in areas including Public versus Private utilities, government intervention in business activities, the question of “Balanced Budgets versus Humanity” and finally Roosevelt’s “Welfare Statism” versus Hoover’s “New Frontiers.”
In your conclusion, summarize you understanding and thoughts on the role and relationship between citizen and state. Consider: What do you expect from the State, that is, the government whether it is the local city, county, state, or federal government. What do you want the State to do? On the flip side, are you obligated to certain actions and activities towards the State?
Finally, given that we are currently emerging from a recession and the charged and partisan political state we are in, are we still debating the basic question of expectations and obligations?
The Great Depression: A Nation Divided, a Government Tested
The Great Depression, a period of unprecedented economic hardship that gripped the United States from 1929 to the late 1930s, irrevocably altered the nation’s social and political landscape. Its origins, rooted in a speculative bubble in the stock market, unleashed a cascade of bank failures, business closures, and widespread unemployment. This period exposed the inherent flaws of the existing economic model and forced Americans to grapple with the fundamental question: what is the proper role of government in the lives of its citizens?
This essay will argue that the Great Depression illuminated a stark contrast in ideology between President Herbert Hoover, who championed laissez-faire principles, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who advocated for government intervention. Their contrasting approaches to the crisis revealed differing perceptions of the relationship between citizens and the state, ultimately shifting the national conversation towards a more activist role for government in addressing economic hardship.
The Great Depression: A Nation Divided, a Government Tested
The Great Depression, a period of unprecedented economic hardship that gripped the United States from 1929 to the late 1930s, irrevocably altered the nation’s social and political landscape. Its origins, rooted in a speculative bubble in the stock market, unleashed a cascade of bank failures, business closures, and widespread unemployment. This period exposed the inherent flaws of the existing economic model and forced Americans to grapple with the fundamental question: what is the proper role of government in the lives of its citizens?
This essay will argue that the Great Depression illuminated a stark contrast in ideology between President Herbert Hoover, who championed laissez-faire principles, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who advocated for government intervention. Their contrasting approaches to the crisis revealed differing perceptions of the relationship between citizens and the state, ultimately shifting the national conversation towards a more activist role for government in addressing economic hardship.
