Last Updated on December 8, 2021 by QCity Editorial Stuff
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover were two very different presidents with unique outlooks on the role of the federal government in American society. While Roosevelt was more willing to expand the role of the government, Hoover believed in a smaller, more limited role for Washington. This difference in opinion led to significant policy differences between the two administrations.
In the 1930s, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president of the United States and he is largely considered one of our best presidents. In contrast, Hoover’s presidency is often called a failure. What are some key differences between these two men?
Franklin D. Roosevelt served as president from 1933 to 1945 during a time when America faced its most dire economic crisis ever- The Great Depression- which had been going on for years before his inauguration. Despite this daunting task, FDR not only pulled us out of the depression but also led us through World War II and into victory over fascism in Europe and Japan by 1944. By the end of his term in office, unemployment was at an all-time low (3%) with more than 20 million new jobs created.
Comparison between Hoover and FDR
| Parameters of Comparison | Hoover | FDR |
| Born | Hoover was born in 1874 and died on October 20, 1964 | Roosevelt was born in 1882 and died on April 12, 1945 |
| President | Hoover served as the 31st President of the United States from 1929 to 1933 | Roosevelt served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1933 to 1945 |
| Remembered | Hoover is remembered for his efforts during World War I (he served as U.S Secretary of Commerce) | FDR is remembered for his efforts during World War II (he served as Commander-in-Chief) |
| System | Hoover was a Republican | Roosevelt was a Democrat |
| Governor | Hoover had been the Secretary of Commerce for eight years before becoming president | Roosevelt had been Governor of New York |
Who is Herbert Hoover?
Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch, Iowa on August 10th, 1874. He attended Stanford University and became a mining engineer. Later in life, he joined the Republican Party and became president of the United States from 1929 to 1933. His presidency is often referred to as one of America’s worst because it coincided with the Great Depression which caused economic hardship for many Americans. After his presidency ended he continued to be active in politics by giving speeches and writing books about American history.
Herbert Hoover is one of the most controversial presidents in American history. His presidency was marked by the beginning of the Great Depression, which lasted for more than a decade and left millions unemployed. Hoover’s legacy has been hotly debated ever since he left office, but it is undeniable that his tenure as president played an important role in shaping America. It will take generations to fully understand his impact on this country.
Who is Franklin D. Roosevelt?
Franklin D. Roosevelt served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1933 to 1945 and was one of only four American presidents to be elected for more than two terms. He is most famous for his leadership during World War II when there was a lot of pressure on him to keep America out of war. However, he did not want France and Britain to fall so he agreed with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin to form a coalition against Hitler’s Nazi Germany which had invaded Poland in 1939. As president, Roosevelt led America through some tough times and left behind a legacy that many historians rank alongside Abraham Lincoln’s legacy.
He is best known for leading the country through World War II and his New Deal policies, which helped to lift America out of the Great Depression. Roosevelt’s legacy continues to be celebrated today, more than seventy years after he left office.
10 Differences Between Hoover and FDR
1. Hoover was a Republican and FDR was a Democrat.
2. Hoover had been an engineer, while FDR had been a lawyer.
3. In the election of 1928, Herbert Hoover won more votes than any other candidate in American history up until that point.
4. When Roosevelt became president, he created many new agencies to help with the Great Depression.
5. The New Deal helped provide jobs for Americans during the Great Depression by creating programs such as Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration.
6. The New Deal also helped establish Social Security which is still used today to protect people from poverty in old age or disability.
7. Hoover came from humble beginnings, while FDR came from a rich family.
8. The Great Depression started under the presidency of Herbert Hoover but ended with Franklin D Roosevelt’s New Deal policies.
9. In 1929 the stock market crashed during President Herbert Hoover’s term in office – this led to bank closures and people losing their jobs; it also caused many Americans to lose faith in capitalism as a system for economic prosperity.
10. During his first year of presidency Franklin D Roosevelt passed legislation that provided relief for farmers who were struggling through the Great Depression by giving them loans at low-interest rates and subsidizing their income – he also created new government agencies such as the Tennessee Valley Authority which provided hydroelectric power to rural communities without electricity at reasonable prices; these changes helped end poverty among American farmers.
Interesting Statistics or Facts of Herbert Hoover
1. Herbert Hoover was the 31st president of the United States.
2. He served from 1929 to 1933, when a severe economic depression began.
3. He is remembered for his humanitarian efforts during and after World War I.
4. His wife’s name was Lou Henry Hoover, and they had one child together named Allan Henry Hoover.
5. Although he was born in West Branch, Iowa, he spent most of his childhood in Oregon where he worked on a family farm.
6. In 1891 at age 17, he left home to start working as an office assistant with a mining company in Australia.
Interesting Statistics or Facts of Franklin D. Roosevelt
1. Franklin D Roosevelt was the only president to be elected four times.
2. He died in office, but would have been re-elected had he not died.
3. In his first term as president, Roosevelt got 16 million people back to work and helped end a depression.
4. His most famous quote is “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
5. FDR’s wife Eleanor was a human rights activist who founded the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights with her husband.
6. The New Deal program created by Roosevelt gave Americans jobs during the Great Depression and helped bring America out from it.
Conclusion
Hoover was not an effective president due to his inability to connect with people. He also had the unfortunate luck of coming into office at the beginning of the Great Depression, which made it difficult for him to garner support among Americans. FDR, on the other hand, is one of our most popular presidents because he understood how important human connection and communication were in leading a country through tough times. This blog post has shown you some ways that both men acted as leaders during their respective periods; now we’re going to switch gears by focusing on what they can teach us about leadership today. There are many lessons from these two American heroes that will remain relevant even though they lived 80 years apart – like how they handled challenges or what type of qualities they had. The two leaders also share some similarities; both men were born into privilege, but this didn’t stop them from working hard throughout their lives.
References:
Resource 01: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Hoover
Resource 02: https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/franklin-d-roosevelt/
