Ex-05: Explain why President Hoover was unpopular in 1932 (12 marks).

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Ex-05: Explain why President Hoover was unpopular in 1932 (12 marks).

Causes

  • Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression
  • Laissez-faire policies
  • Personality of Hoover
  • Hoovervilles, Hoover blankets and the 'Bonus Army'

Effects

  • His presidency coincided with the Stock Market Crash and the onset of the Great Depression – he was blamed for the resulting social and economic problems and high unemployment. (1929 1.6 million; 1932 12.1 million)
  • Many US people looked for help from the government after 1929 and this was not forthcoming -Hoover stuck to Laissez faire/traditional Republican policies
  • he was a reserved, shy man who disliked publicity. He could not inspire the country, he appeared not to care for ordinary people by not giving direct relief. His actions, such as the Emergency Relief and Reconstruction Act, were too limited to cope with the scale of the crisis
  • His association with Hoovervilles, Hoover blankets and the treatment of the ‘Bonus Army’ march made him seem like a 'do nothing' president who cared little for the ordinary people.

Overall summary

Hoover, because he was a Republican, was unable to change his policies to help ordinary citizens and so he was blamed for their problems at the beginning of the Great Depression, or he took the blame as president despite the unprecedented nature of the crisis

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