Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt both served as president during hard economic times. They had very different ideas about dealing with the Great Depression. Read the section in your text called "What Did Hoover Do?" Then read the section called "Roosevelt's New Deal." On a separate piece of paper write a very brief paragraph comparing Hoover's ideas on the role of government with Roosevelt's ideas.
Answer the following questions (Be certain to use the same sheet of paper that you used for your brief paragraph):
Why do you think President Hoover's policy was often called "rugged individualism?"
How do you think Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt would feel about today's welfare system? How would they feel about government regulations to protect the environment?
During the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan said that government was "too big." He said the government spent too much money. He praised private enterprise and complained about government interference. Do you think Reagan's ideas were more like those of President Hoover or President Roosevelt?