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** Herbert Hoover ** ( August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) Republican Party Term of Office: (1929-1933) Vice President: Charles Curtis

Hoover started his presidency on a good note and at a time of extreme prosperity, but quickly found himself in the worst state the U.S. has been in its entire history. Engulfed by the Great Depression and facing animosity from European allies, Hoover was under much stress and scrutiny during his tenor in office. His criticisms were much exaggerated however and he did accomplish many small acts, thus earning a C.

Hoover had two serious goals upon stepping into office. His primary plan was to slightly reform government involvement in businesses and further the Progressive movement. He was only mildly successful in this endeavor but managed to pass legislation aimed at aiding farmers such as the Agricultural Marketing Act, which formed the Federal Farm Board with the authority to buy up crop surpluses and lend money to farm organizations. In addition, he was a major supporter of public-works programs and dedicated $2.25 billion to creating jobs and internal improvement. He also ignorantly supported the Hawley-Smoot Tariff, an increase of import duties from 38.5% to almost 60%, that was a large factor in the continuation of the downfall of the economy. Finally, he helped the laborer by passing the Norris-LaGuardia Act that forbid courts from prosecuting strikers and meeting with business leaders who then pledged not to reduce wages. He made various well-intentioned government reforms, but they ultimately did little to help the savings purse of the United States. His second goal was a rarity in the decade of isolation; he wanted to improve relations with Latin America. At the beginning of his term he made a seven-week journey visiting many of the Spanish-speaking countries and made an austere attempt at bettering relations. He renounced the Roosevelt Corollary, encouraged more open communications, removed troops from Haiti and Nicaragua, and arbitrated the Tacna-Arica fiasco between Peru and Chile. This was a dispute to whom these two cities belonged to but Hoover was able to negotiate a treaty giving Tacna to Peru and Arica to Chile. Surprisingly, Hoover was extremely successful in this regard and his “Good Neighbor” policy was well-received in Latin America.

At the beginning of his four years in office, Congress was overwhelmingly Republican. He passed lots of legislation in addition to the Norris-LaGuardia Act and Hawley-Smoot Tariff described above. He enacted the Davis-Beacon Act which was an extension of his deal with the business bosses. It required local governments to pay union accepted wages for the public works programs. The Emergency Relief and Construction Act then commissioned funds for these projects. He also passed the Federal Home Loan Bank Act. It reduced the cost of home ownership as thousands began to foreclose on their houses by creating a board and special banks whose sole purpose was to give out loans to pay mortgages. The Revenue Act of 1932 increased taxes nearly across the board to bring in desperately needed money to the government. Towards the end of his presidency however his relation with Congress began to sour. The Depression was straining tensions and the fed up public voted in many Democrats. Hoover had an extremely hard time getting through legislation and Congress effectively road blocked his efforts.

Hoover’s presidency was surrounded by despair and failure and he was lacking of a major accomplishment. Nevertheless he managed to do many good deeds. His farm subsidies and aid programs marked the first time that the government provided large-scale aid for the agricultural industry during peacetime. Improvement of relations with Latin America and the “Good Neighbor” policy was as well a departure of the time and although it didn’t produce tangible advantages, provided friends for the U.S. in a time its allies in Europe were less than happy. Thirdly, Hoover’s labor legislation and policies towards Progressiveness assisted the worker in the time of great need. Finally, 3 million acres of national parks and 2.3 million acres of national forests added to the growing conservation of natural resources can hardly be considered a mistake. Hoover’s administration can best be described as an ever collapsing star with brief moments of brightness.

The Great Depression is easily and commonly labeled as Hoover’s great fault during his stay in office. While many quickly label almost all his actions as ill conceived and poor, he actually made a great effort and his government intervention was ahead of its time. However, he certainly has room for blame and he could have changed many of his decisions. First off, he should have come to the realization much quicker that government support would be needed. This was the Great Depression, not a normal panic. The economy was bombing at home and abroad, the Dust Bowl was underway in the West, and international relations with its European allies were collapsing. Hoover didn’t start to make serious attempts at tiding the explosion of the market until 1931. Before he even earnestly got under way he made a major mistake by passing the Hawley-Smoot Tariff. This increased the cost of domestic products, virtually eliminated foreign trade, and angered the debt paying nations in Europe. Imports actually decreased 66% from 1929 to 1933, and exports fell an almost identical 61%. This one act had a huge impact. He bowed down to pressure from business-owning Congressmen and enacted a horrible piece of legislation. The Revenue Act of 1932 also increased taxes astronomically, taking away much needed capital from consumers. It more than doubled the taxes on the wealthy from 25% to 63%, doubled estate tax, and placed a 2-cent tax on all checks. The subsequent effect was a dire contraction of the economy.

The influence from Hoover’s administration had a direct effect on that of the next president’s, F.D.R. Hoover’s action of governmental backing of the economy, however late, was a turning point in presidential policy involving the monetary standpoint of the country. His weak stances were greatly expanded by F.D.R. in his New Deal, and a quick look at Obama’s stimulus package shows this approach hasn’t changed. In any major fiscal crisis to come the president of the time will most likely intervene and follow in the footsteps Hoover laid out.

After Hoover left office America was in the most disastrous condition it had yet seen. Leaks were springing from every which way and the country was in danger of collapsing on itself. On the other hand, he didn’t cause the Great Depression and he left tradition with federal aid and made many small improvements. For these positive movements, he earns a C and saves himself from an F.

Bibliography:

1."American President: Herbert Clark Hoover: Domestic Affairs." //Miller Center of Public Affairs//. Web. 04 Dec. 2009. . 2. "THE CABINET: Good-Times Charlie - TIME." //Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com//. Web. 03 Dec. 2009. . 3."Smoot-Hawley Tariff." //Future Home Page//. Web. 04 Dec. 2009. .