fdr
When Herbert Hoover took office in 1928, there were a number of weaknesses in the U.S. economy that he was either unaware of or ignored. His beliefs of the role of the government would lead the Great Depression even lower. The few actions that he did take were ineffective. Unfortunately, there were many problems to solve and every choice seemed to be set up for disaster anyway. After Hoover, President Franklin Roosevelt was elected because the people wanted a man of action. Roosevelt kept the nation alive after Hoover allowed the economic famine to spread. Hoover believed that helping the unemployed was the responsibility of churches, private agencies and state and local governments; that giving a handout to the unemployed would destroy their self-respect and individual initiative; that a federal relief program would bankrupt the nation; and that a federal relief program would dangerously enlarge the power of the federal government and create a bloated bureaucracy. Franklin Roosevelt"'"s policies to deal with the Great Depression are categorized as "relief, recovery, and reform." During the first hundred days of Roosevelt"'"s Presidency, he enacted fifteen programs. These were meant to provide relief and begin the nation's recovery. The day after being sworn in as President, he closed all banks until they were found to be stable and insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which he created that day. Credit became a problem because it was so easy to get.