Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover adopted opposite approaches to the Great Depression. Herbert Hoover thought that America and its economy would naturally recover from the depression, so he refused to have the federal government intervene or become heavily involved. By contrast, Franklin D. Roosevelt believed the federal government needed to take an active role in resolving the depression, and under his New Deal, he dramatically expanded the federal government to increase employment and establish agencies help relieve some of the country's worst problems.
