When the Great Depression hit, Herbert Hoover was president. As an advocate of laissez faire economics, he felt that having the government interfere with the economy would have negative results. Hoover does create a few public works projects (like the Hoover Dam) in order to decrease unemployment but these programs are short lived. Overall, Hoover is remembered negatively by the American public, as he did not do enough to help America during this time.
This is why when he ran for re-election he lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Once in office, FDR implemented the "New Deal." This economic program was based around creating government agencies that would help decrease unemployment and improve American society in general. Along with this, FDR set up market regulations (like the Securities and Exchange Commission) to ensure that there is never another crash in wall street like the one in 1929.
