American History Since 1865 - Essay Example

of the of the Contrast the approaches of Hoover and Roosevelt to fixing the depression. Comment on either some of the strengths or weaknesses of either approach.  Hoover was of the opinion that the people should not become easy going about the problem at hand. He believed that the only way to overcome the depression was if everyone becomes responsible for his own sustenance and does not rely on the government. His approach however was very weak. Thousands had become jobless, hundreds of banks and companies had gone bankrupt; there was a dire need for some sort of federal assistance which Hoover consistently denied.

Roosevelt was more concerned about the general public and believed in the notion of relief, recovery and reform. Soon after gaining office, he introduced different relief programs which provided employment to thousands of unemployed persons. He reduced the expenses on military, research and education to increase the funds required to boost the economy. His approach was very successful and provided a head start for the nation to recover from the Great Depression. 2. What can you understand about the problems facing the nation or about American culture and society of the day?

The primary problem faced by the American nation was unemployment. However it had not resulted only from the crashed economy but also due to materialistic work practices of the people. The people were more concerned about earning easily rather than through hard work. The other major problem faced by the society was the improper utilization of the natural resources. The land was abundant in natural resources but lack of leadership and coordination among the people had hindered in its proper utilization.

The nation lacked a stable currency that could suffice for all the trade and commerce. The competition and monopoly of big organizations had throttled the small scale businesses and caused widespread unemployment. Another major problem faced by the society was the lack of interdependence which caused disorder and delay in economic recovery despite adequate agricultural and industrial activities.