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//Date of Birth: August 10, 1874 | Date of Death: October 20, 1964 Term of Office: 1929-1933 Vice President: Charles Curtis Political Party: Republican//
 * -Herbert Hoover-**

Herbert Hoover was a very well-rounded man, serving as an engineer, administrator, and humanitarian. Before he was even seeking to take the role as president, he and his wife had been living in China, which brought him many opportunities to be viewed as a hero among American servicemen and politicians. Once he had taken office, however, he began to lose some of his superior status. While he did good things for the country, such as improving relations with Latin America and goals to better the domestic issues of America, he was not favored highly during the Great Depression with some failed acts and a violent uprising in Washington. Noted as being a somewhat "average" president, Herbert Hoover deserves the grade of a C.

Hoover's platform consisted of many goals and promises he was planning on keeping. He was seeking to continue the prosperity of the nation by adding a protective tariff, to help with the farming situations, and to enforce prohibition. Hoover was promoting his "trickle-down" method, where higher corporations and businesses would receive funding, which would flow down into the unemployed and citizens who needed the extra push. It did not become effective, however. The Hawley-Smoot Tariff was designed to help farmers and quickly became the highest protective tariff in a time of peace, escalating up to 22%; this quickly put the entire nation into bad times, however. Along with farming, the Federal Farm Board was established from the Agricultural Marketing Act, which really helped in the aid of buying and selling surplus. The prohibition idea was hoped to be supported by enforcing stronger restrictions; unfortunately, once the Depression hit the country, many unemployed peoples sought out beer and liquor, resisting the enforcements. This goal was proven to be very ineffective.

Herbert Hoover's relationship with Congress was not a very good one. Throughout his term, many Congressmen starting dropping from his support to where at best, only half still considered themselves Republican. Hoover was adamant about protective tariffs for farmers and agricultural needs, but Congress had a hard time seeing eye-to-eye with him on that issue, believing that relief bills and reformation were essential. The positive outcomes in this presidential/Congressional disagreement were that Veterans were given the right to borrow up to a half of their insurance policies, and the ratifying of the Hawley-Smoot Act, the Agricultural Marketing Act, and a Constitutional Amendment.

Definitely the most positive highlight of Hoover's presidency would be the establishing of the Good Neighbor Policy. Hoover went on a weeks-long tour of Latin American countries and promised to reduce American interference in certain areas. To make good on this promise, troops were soon pulled out from Haiti and Nicaragua. He also acted as mediator and resolved a dispute between the countries of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Not only did this help bolster Hoover's character, but it set up a good plan for President Roosevelt to improve upon.

The darkest aspect of Hoover's administration would be the Bonus Army fiasco in Washington. After not receiving their bonuses early enough, World War I veterans marched into and camped out in Washington, DC. When Congress did not agree to hand over the bonuses, the majority left, but others remained behind, determined. Hoover wanted them out of the area, so he "hired" General MacArthur to clear the resistors out of the city. However, MacArthur was not very respectable of his orders and used much more force on the veterans that Hoover had planned, using various techniques such as bayonets and tear gas. Even though it was not a direct fault of Hoover's, it was his decision to place MacArthur in charge, so he was given the blame.

Possibly President Hoover's most impacting decision was the Hawley-Smoot Tariff. It brought up conflict in what Hoover and Congress believed the country wanted and what the country needed. When tariff rates increased, it angered other countries as well as Americans to the point where not only was the United States in a depression, but the entire globe was presented with an economic depression as well. Walls were put up between the United States and former trading countries, worsening the domestic issues of America.

President Herbert Hoover deserves the grade of a C. While he had established some good ideas, such as the Good Neighbor Policy and more relief acts and proposals, Hoover was blamed for quite a few negative aspects as well, such as the Bonus Army march in Washington and the Hawley-Smoot Tariff, and the inability to rise America up from the ashes of the Depression. His actions were debatable, but there was no doubt about Hoover's character and his willingness to help others in times of need and improve the nation in both domestic and foreign affairs.

"31. Herbert Hoover 1929-1933." __The White House.__ 29 April 2010. [] Hamilton, David E. **"Herbert Clark Hoover." __Miller Center of Public Affairs.__ 2010. 29 April 2010. [] "Herbert Hoover." __U-S-History.__ 2010. 29 April 2010. []
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