While President Hoover was heavily criticized for not doing enough to alleviate the initial problems of the Great Depression, he had already gained a reputation as a great provider of relief. Hoover also seems critical of absolute capitalism and the potential dangers of large businesses holding monopolies ("it is no system of laissez faire").
What is, then, Hoover's ideal imagination of the government and the economy? How does it manifest itself in his initial relief programs? Why doesn't it work?
And then, the inevitable question--what do you make of the repatriation of Mexican Americans? Why did the Hoover administration approve this?
Hoover's ideal imagination of the government and the economy was to not be too involved. Hoover was worried that being to involved with the American people could harm their "rugged individualism." "I would like to state to you the effect that... [an interference] of government in business would have upon our system of self-government and our economic system. That effect would reach to the daily life of every man and woman. It would impair the very basis of liberty and freedom...." Hoover believed this sternly and as a result believed it was best to lay back from the people. This way of governing manifests itself in his initial relief programs through the Mexican Repatriation. I kind of believe that the Mexican Repartriation was hypocritical in a way because Hoover did not want the government to get involved although in this instance it seems as if they were very involved through the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and authorities. This does not work because all they were doing was blaming minorities for their problems that they caused.
ReplyDeleteHoover believed that, “we necessarily turned to the government to solve every difficult economic problem. “ After the war ended Hoover believed that we were at a stand still, we needed to figure out if we still wanted government to operate production and distribution or did we want a, “European philosophy of diametrically opposed doctrines of paternalism and state socialism.” Hoover promised that to carry on Coolidge’s policies of “minimum government involvement, letting business do business.” Initially, Hoover stayed out of businesses way feeling strongly that government should not be involved. After his initial trepidation Hoover got involved; further worsening the crisis. The initial relief program failed miserably. Hoover continued to take money out of the economy rather than increasing the supply. Hoover even “reduced government spending as well… farms continued to lose money and rural banks continued to fail without government help.” Hoover thought that the people could save each other when in reality they were much to devastated economically to even help themselves. Hoover pulled money out of the economy when he should have been putting money into it. Repatriation affected all Mexicans who resided in a particular county and offered them the opportunity to “return to their country.” This was a nicer way to go about it, it made the Mexicans feel that it was their choice rather then they were being forced to relocate. I think that the repatriation of Mexican Americans back to Mexico was due to the high pressure Hoover felt to reduce the high number of Mexican immigrants. I believe that he main reason Mexicans were being deported was because they were staling the American born citizens jobs, infuriating them.
ReplyDeleteHoover felt that the ideal imagination or situation of this was for him to stay out of the situation. Hoover felt after the war ended we were at a stand still, we needed to figure out if we still wanted government to operate production and distribution. This would affect the citizens normal freedom and rights and that would cause major problems. Hoover felt that if people helped each other then the economy would become better, but in reality people were not able to even take care of themselves because of how terrible the economy was during this time. During this period of time millions of Americans are unemployed,wages were stagnating, economic mobility was decreasing, government debt was out of control, health care costs kept rising, energy costs are soaring, American education is failing to educate. These were the problems that hurt this economy and social and political aspects of the nation during this time.
ReplyDeleteHoover's ideal imagination of the government and the economy was that government shouldn't be involved in economy. He didn't choose to help individuals and economy because he believed that government and economy are two individual part and he took the wrong choice, which caused deflation and covered inflation. The program wouldn't work because Hoover ignore that even the government itself spent less money and encourage other companies to save themselves, but without the help from government and an united direction, many companies were not able to recover their economy. I think that the repatriation of Mexican Americans was not a good choice because the idea of Americans is to fight and work hard for selves. If they were afraid that Mexican Americans would take their jobs away, they should prove that they are more valuable than Mexican Americans. But it was understandable because nobody could be that calm when they are facing the depression. It was true that Mexican Americans brought a lot of pressure to the market, but it is also true that cut out the number of employers blindly might worse the depression, depends on what the market needs.
ReplyDeleteHoover's ideal view of government involvement is extremely minimal, saying it isn't governments job to give out money to the poor which, he recognized, would create a class of entitled people (sounds familiar?). He supported the peoples "rugged individualism". It would be up to businesses and communities to provide for each other and their poor, the problem being that they didn't have the resources themselves to rebuild or help anyone else. As for the repatriation of the Mexican Americans: it was just another xenophobic action by the American who saw it easier to blame others for the Great Depression, even though it was everyone's fault.
ReplyDeleteHerbert Hoover thought that it would be best for the economy if the government wouldn't get involved to much. He feared that that this wouldn't be good for the american individualism. The idea that job loss or poverty is an individuals own fault and responsibility seems very unfair to me. No one wants to be poor and surely does everything to have a decent job. But the government has to make sure that there are enough jobs for everyone.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the Mexican repatriation I have to say that I am a little confused about that, I wonder why they choose Mexicans to sparse, America had immigrants from a lot of different countries at that time. Was it because it was easier to have them go back because Mexico isn't that far?
Hoover thought a laissez fair approach was best, he did not want to get too involved. He supported individualism and citizens should be able to handle their own work. With the mexican repatriation the US spared with mexico despite having many other immigrants. I think it was easiest for them to go back to their country while the countries population started to reach capacity.
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