Question

Why were Americans ready for a new leader in Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932? Check all that apply. Many feared the expense of President Hoover’s plan to pay unemployment. Poverty and homelessness continued to grow through the early 1930s. Businesses and banks were failing at alarming rates through the early 1930s. The unemployment rate hit 25 percent and people were desperate for money. President Hoover’s pursuit of new government programs proved unsuccessful. President Hoover’s inaction left people feeling like the Depression would never end.

Answer 1

The correct answer is A, B, D, E, F. Hoover did not really have a plan to pay for unemployment, he created the “President's Organization for Unemployment Relief” in 1931, which paradoxically did not provide any funding whatsoever for relief programs of any kind. It was only a way to help local relief agencies to organize their relief efforts without any government funding. As a result of the ever increasing unemployment and lack of actual relief for ordinary citizens, poverty and homelessness continued to grow. He only provided financial relief and funds to banks and financial institutions, ideologically convinced that the reason for the depression was the lack of confidence of citizens in the solvency of financial institutions. One of the most negative aspects of his Revenue Act of 1932 was that it imposed a two cent tax on every bank check, harming the finances of the very few people who were still employed.  Because of his economic ideological biases which resulted in inaction to actually solve the underlying sources of the Depression, unemployment did hit 25 percent of the population. His very few government programs were only aimed to provide relief for big banks and financial institutions. Small businesses and small rural banks were collapsing everywhere (which is why I did not select option C, since large banks and corporations did benefit from his very selective relief policies). In light of these events, it is obvious that most Americans saw no end in sight to their extreme economic and social hardships and thus, Hoover was defeated by a landslide in the presidential 1932 elections (a meager 6 States carried over Roosevelt’s 42).

Answer 2

The answer is A. Poverty and homelessness were on the rise. B. More and more businesses were closing each day C. Many Americans were out of work and could not find jobs. D. Roosevelt had sworn to create programs to fix the economy.