Assess the success of government intervention programs in the 1930s in American society
The government intervention programs in the 1930s were deemed successful in American
society as it resolved the main issues of the Great Depression. The American society
witnessed issues as crime, chaos, anxiety, unemployment, falling wages and incomes, as well
as hunger. During Hoover’s Republican presidency in the year 1929-1932, he not only failed to
solve the social and economic problems of the Depression but also failed to ease the impact
of the Depression or give hope to the people in his ability to solve the issue. It wasn’t until
the following Democrat presidency of Franklin Roosevelt in the year 1933-1941 which saw an
essential opposing result. Through Roosevelt’s actions, the success in resolving the social and
economic problems of the Depression is visible by the restoration of the lost faith in American
society.
Hoover’s government intervention was unsuccessful in solving the problems of the Depression
concering the economy and society. On 22 October 1928, Hoover presented the “Philosophy of
Rugged Individualism” campaign speech. The term of “rugged individualism” is a term that
indicates “the virtuous ideal where an individual is totally self-reliant and independent from
outside assistance”(En.wikipedia.org, 2019). Initially, Hoover thought the “rugged
individualism” alone would be sufficient to overcome the Depression. Ultimately, Hoover
failed to revive the financial crisis through his refusal to fund the movement. Consequently,
by the end of 1932, “unemployment had reached astoundingly high levels of 22.5 per cent
across the states”(Le Cornu, Bradbury and Carroll, 2018) and “ the decline of income by over
40 per cent between 1929 and 1932 shocked America”(Le Cornu, Bradbury and Carroll, 2018).
The situation only got worse with more businesses and bank declaring bankrupt, a decline in
the economic activity and unemployment and despair increased. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act
of 1930 was Hoover’s only federal government intervention to overcome the Depression but it
backfired severely, and the impact of the Depression affect the global economy and deepened
America’s own crisis. From 1930, a second attempt on responding to the growing crisis,
Hoover took the government intervention to unprecedented heights by providing public work
programs at the Hoover Dam. Furthermore, Hoover attempt to gradually solve the problems
of the Depressions were though initiatives such as the Agricultural Markets Act of 1929, the
Revenue Act of 1932, which massively increased taxes on the rich, and the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation of 1932. Overall, Hoover’s efforts weren’t enough to surpress the social
and economic problems of the Depression. Hoover does have the ability to inspire people with
lead to his failure to regain faith in American society.
In contrast, the success of the government intervention of Franklin...
