Kay+S.+-+HH+-+FA10

Herbert Clark Hoover Born: August 10, 1874 in West Branch, Iowa Died: October 20, 1964 in New York, New York Term of Office: 1929-1933 Vice President: Charles Curtis (1929-1933)

If Herbert Hoover were to be given a grade for his presidency, he would earn a C-. Hoover made many good decisions during his term as president, such as the "Good Neighbor" policy, the Hoover Dam, and the conservation of federal land in the national forest deserve. However, Hoover did not have a solid relationship with Congress, and did not fight for his beliefs, allowing Congress to sort things out, when it came to legislation, resulting in a lower grade.

Hoover's goals going into the presidency were to improve the economy in the nation's agricultural sector and tariff reforms. His first goal was achieved early in his term. Hoover wished to create a Federal Farm Board which would loan money to farmers in hopes that production would be more controlled and crops would be brought to market more efficiently. Congress battled over the farm policy, resulting in a dead lock. Finally, the Agricultural Marketing Act was passed by Congress, giving Hoover the Federal Farm Board he wanted. His second goal, tariff reforms, was much more difficult. In 1929, the tariff reform stood at a standstill because of disagreements between Hoover and Congress. In 1930, the Smoot-Hawley tariff bill was produced, raising rates on both agricultural and industrial products, rejected export debenture (a document that creates or acknowledges debt), and provided for a commission. Both of these goals were achieved, however, not without some difficulty.

Hoover and Congress had a poor relationship. An example would be the disagreement on the Federal Farm Board. Congress supported subsidies, but Hoover did not want the federal government to loan the money, and wanted to see prosperity through cooperation. Another huge example of disagreement between Congress and Hoover was the tariff reform. Progressive Republicans supported export debenture. Export debenture is when the government compensates farmers who sold their products overseas at a loss. The Republicans opposed higher tariffs on industrial products and tariff commissions that could adjust rates. Finally, after six months, Congress produced the Smoot-Hawley tariff bill. Yet another example would be Congress passing the Bonus Bill in 1931 over Hoover's veto. This bill allowed veterans to borrow up to half the value of life insurance policies purchased by Congress. These constant debates and disagreements shows how poorly the relationship between Hoover and Congress was, and contributes to a lower grade for Hoover.

The action of the president's administration that had the most positive outcome was in his foreign affairs, specifically the "Good Neighbor" policy. This policy was directed towards the nations of South and Central America. Hoover went on a ten-week tour of Latin America, making twenty-five speeches throughout that proclaimed America would reduce political and military influence in Latin American affairs. To support this, Hoover removed American troops from Nicaragua in 1932, signed a treaty with Haiti promising to end American occupation, and resolved a dispute between Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. This policy helped America better the relationship with South and Central America and improved foreign policy, making it the action with the most positive outcome.

The action of the president's administration that had the most negative outcome was the passing of the Smoot-Hawley tariff bill. Although it was not a cause of the Great Depression, it harmed world trade, further weakening the international economy. Also, Hoover's views on the bill further soured his relationship with the Republican party and with Congress. The economy was only hurt, not helped by this new bill, and during the Great Depression, hurting the economy even further was one of the worst things the government could do. It is for these reasons, the passage of the Smoot-Hawley tariff bill was the most negative outcome.

One of the decisions made by Hoover and his administration that influenced future presidential administrations was the "Good Neighbor" policy. Although the economy became worse during his term, Hoover set the precedent for improvement in foreign relations. This policy was a solid foundation on which future presidents could build off of, as did Franklin Delano Roosevelt. By helping foreign relations through the "Good Neighbor" policy and setting up a nice foundation for future president Roosevelt, this decision was the most influential.

At the end of Herbert Hoover's term, the country's economy had completely crashed and taken a turn for the worse. However, foreign policy was improved, which eventually helped the country. For these reasons, I give Hoover the grade of a C-. Even though he made advancements in conservation and foreign affairs, the economy was the main downfall of his term, resulting in such a low grade. Also, his poor relationship with Congress, only made matters worse because actions could not be decided on quickly and were disputed thoroughly. These are the reasons Hoover received a C- grade.

Bibliography

"American President: Herbert Clark Hoover." //Miller Center of Public Affairs//. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. .