How did the American government tackle the Great Depression?

Learning objective – to be able to assess the American government’s policy in handling the Great Depression.

I can describe some of the features of US economic policy between 1929 and 1932.

Grade D

I can explain and categorise most of the features of the US government’s economic policy between 1929 and 1932.

Grade B

I can explain and assess the performance of the US government and its handling of the Great Depression.

Grade A

Starter – complete the famous quote from President Herbert Hoover about his

government’s economic policy?

Prosperity is ------------.

Starter – complete the famous quote from President Herbert Hoover about his

government’s economic policy?

Prosperity is just around the

corner.

Who was President Herbert Hoover?

US President between 1929 to

1933 and won the 1928 election by a

landslide.

US Secretary of Commerce between 1921 and 1928 – closely associated with the

government’s economic policy.

A Quaker who meant he was very caring. He was in charge of the relief fund

for East Europeans in 1920 which saved millions of

lives.

Closely associated with Laissez Faire economics.

What did Hoover think caused the Great Depression?

Falling world trade – but US trade

needed protecting.

Too much government intervention in other

countries.

Businessmen spending money they did not have.

What did Hoover do to tackle the Great Depression?

Continued Laissez Faire policies and

encouraged Rugged Individualism – the

idea that an individual is

responsible for their own lives

without help from anyone else.

Passed the Hawley-Smoot tariff in 1930 which

increased import duties on foreign goods.

Assisted farmers with the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1930 which enabled the

government to lend farmers money.

What did Hoover do to tackle the Great Depression?

Encouraged businesses to not to

cut wages or production levels.

Cut taxes by $130 million.

Approved a $1.8 billion worth of public works

projects, such as building roads.

Set up agencies to aimed to relieve unemployment such as the Organisation for Unemployment Relief and the Emergency Relief

Act.

What did Hoover do when his policies were not making an impact in 1932?

Despite the federal government

spending $500 million more per

year on relief funds, unemployment was

still rising – to almost 25% of the entire workforce in

1933.

Hoover increased direct federal government

intervention, such as the Reconstruction Finance Company, which gave

loans to failing banks and businesses.

Why was the government’s failure to handle the Great Depression Hoover’s fault?

Hoover was closely linked to the government’s

economic policies that had caused the

Depression. He stuck with them for

too long.

With Hoover supporting Rugged Individualism and

blaming businesses, he was seen to do virtually

nothing in 1930.

The Hawley-Smoot Tariff made the situation worse

and international trade slowed further.

Encouraging ‘voluntaryism’ – supporting charities – he saw it that it was not the government’s job to help

the poor.

Why was the government’s failure to handle the Great Depression not Hoover’s fault?

It was a world problem not an

American problem – you cannot blame

just one person.

Hoover cancelled all war debts to increased

international trade.

Congress did not want to raise taxes to help the

poor.

The US political system limited Hoover’s powers to deal with the Depression.

Responsibility for helping the poor and unemployed lay

with the state government.

Direct federal government aid took place – a rarity.

TasksComplete all the tasks from the worksheet.

Extension task

Design an election leaflet for Herbert Hoover for the 1932 Presidential Election. What would you

include? What would you highlight? What would you leave out?

PlenaryChoose three words

from the word cloud which you

think are the most important.

How do they link to the lesson?

How do they summarise your

learning?