The New Deal

The New Deal

Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt shared very different visions in regards to providing relief to the impoverished during the Great Depression. Hoover was a Republican and Franklin was a Democrat. Hoover believed in, "Tickle down economics, basically he believed that everyone (the government included) had their role to play and that times of economic depression were a normal part of an ongoing cycle that we have to let play out. Hoover believed strongly in "workfare," basically that working ,"deserving," Americans could pull themselves out of the economic crisis, not the government. Additionally, Hoover was in office during the depression and ironically gave massive loans and incentives to banks. In constrast Roosevelt, FDR was a visionary, when it came to the New Deal he had numerous opposing views. He spoke out against socialism and wanted to regulate capitalism. FDR's plans as president were rooted in helping the poor, Welfare, the "deserving" just as well as the "undeserving poor through the promotion of government intervention.

As the New Deal passed from the hands of Hoover to FDR it's program also changed. In the hands of Hoover their where programs like socialized health care, which was later dropped along with his other programs that increased government spending ,taxes and supported subsidized banks. Once the new deal moved to the hands of FDR, American where introduced to programs that promoted the creation of a balanced budget while reducing government spending. For example FDR significantly reduced federal employment programs and established the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which quickly increased the national employment rate. It is clear that the New deal began in the hands of Hoover but it was in the hands of FDR that it was truly put to work for Americans.