The Great Depression and the 1932 Campaign
The 1932 Presidential campaign was colored by the gray gloom of a deepening economic depression. Incumbent President Herbert Hoover, who had been a rising star in a Republican Party that had not lost the White House since 1916, was facing blame for the crisis. The homeless and destitute named the shacks and shanties they had been forced to retreat too “Hoovervilles” and the turned-out empty trouser pockets of men standing in bread lines were dubbed “Hoover Flags.” This was a long way from Hoover’s position in 1929 that he was the candidate of “prosperity and economic growth.” During his first term and throughout his candidacy in 1932, President Hoover continued to “adhere to his theory that the primary obligations for relief rested upon the family, the neighbor, the landlord, and the employer—in that order.” He fought against drastic government interventions to help the poor, the farmers, and the homeless. Hoover’s presidency was also plagued by political problems – he repeatedly failed to drum up congressional support for his policies and vetoed popular relief bills – furthering the image that the President did not have the governmental chops to deal with the Great Depression.
With Hoover’s political capital facing a decline as steep as the American economy, there was …show more content…
These measures are all a necessary addition to the efficient and courageous efforts of our citizens throughout the nation. Our people through voluntary measures and through state and local action are providing for distress. Through the organized action of employers they are securing distribution of employment and thus mitigating the hardships of the depression. Through the mobilization of national credit associations they are aiding the country greatly. Our duty is so to supplement these steps as to make their efforts more
The 1932 Presidential campaign was colored by the gray gloom of a deepening economic depression. Incumbent President Herbert Hoover, who had been a rising star in a Republican Party that had not lost the White House since 1916, was facing blame for the crisis. The homeless and destitute named the shacks and shanties they had been forced to retreat too “Hoovervilles” and the turned-out empty trouser pockets of men standing in bread lines were dubbed “Hoover Flags.” This was a long way from Hoover’s position in 1929 that he was the candidate of “prosperity and economic growth.” During his first term and throughout his candidacy in 1932, President Hoover continued to “adhere to his theory that the primary obligations for relief rested upon the family, the neighbor, the landlord, and the employer—in that order.” He fought against drastic government interventions to help the poor, the farmers, and the homeless. Hoover’s presidency was also plagued by political problems – he repeatedly failed to drum up congressional support for his policies and vetoed popular relief bills – furthering the image that the President did not have the governmental chops to deal with the Great Depression.
With Hoover’s political capital facing a decline as steep as the American economy, there was …show more content…
These measures are all a necessary addition to the efficient and courageous efforts of our citizens throughout the nation. Our people through voluntary measures and through state and local action are providing for distress. Through the organized action of employers they are securing distribution of employment and thus mitigating the hardships of the depression. Through the mobilization of national credit associations they are aiding the country greatly. Our duty is so to supplement these steps as to make their efforts more