I am started working on some LEQs a few days ago from a couple papers i got off the internet and I was looking to seek some help grading these response. For this question i was using this prompt: Evaluate the extent to which the election of FDR in 1932 marked a changing point in US politics or society with the time period of 1919-1941
This was my response:
The election of Roosevelt marked a notable change from the policies of his predecessors, with notable shifts occurring in his economic and employment policies, but continuing the policies of isolationism even in times of extreme crisis.
In the period from 1919 to 1932, the economic policies of Roosevelt’s predecessor, Hoover, was that of the times of the gilded age. Hoover was in office during the stock market crash and the Great Depression based his decision making overall upon the idea of self-regulation in the economy. Hoover believed that lesser interference, and thereby a return to laissez faire, would allow for the gradual upturn of the United States economy, and as such adopted more or less an observant status, not helping the poor using federal resources, instead reducing taxes and employing tariffs like the Hawley Smoot tariff to attempt to help recover the national industrial capability. This would prove to be insufficient and can be said to be the cause of the great suffering that was endured by the people during that time period. With Roosevelt however, when he was elected, his policies shifted from Laissez Faire to keynisan economics. Keynes, a brutish economist active during the 1920-1930s, was instrumental in developing his own economic theories, that in times of extreme cirrus, the role of the government must be to actively stimulate the economy by the investment of federal money into the economy and direct intervention into the economy to artificially manipulate demand and supply and thereby drive up or decrease prices. In this Roosevelt was able to adopt many of his new deal policies. One of the most important was the agricultural act, which paid farmers to grow less. This is a shift away from prior policies employed, which encouraged the growth of surpluses to sell on the market and thereby earn more. However, the farming techniques eroded the topsoil and was the direct causation of the dust bowls, and the massive amounts of surpluses produced by the farmers would contribute negatively towards the prices of the goods by driving up supply to a point that demand could not catch up. Compared with Hoovers ideas of self-help, Roosevelt, by merit of using federal power to artificially lower the prices of goods by driving up the demand while reducing the supply. Was able to much more effectively address the economic issues faced by the farmers of the time.
Another major difference between the policies of Roosevelt compared to the polices of hoover was Roosevelt’s stance upon employment. In the times of Hoover, by merit of his ideas of laissez faire and self help, he believed it a waste of federal money to the direct help of the people. To testify this point , one of the most controversial decisions of Hoovers presidency was the bonus army march, whereby veterans who fought int he First World War marched on wahsingotn to demand earlier payment of the bonuses promised to them. Hoover, determined not to pay out these bonuses, sent the army upon them, killing many and wounding much more. This is in stark contrast to what Roosevelt would do at a later date. After the edition fo Roosevelt and the new deal, he would employ such measures the national recovery act which directly provided money to those who needed it, which Is a major shift away from the polices of Hoover of indifferent observer, as well as the social security act, which taxed the working population to support those who are unable to work. This is a change from the bonus army and Hoovers policies of neglect and turning the other way when one cannot help oneself.
However one issue of which Roosevelt continued to do maintain in terms of society was a the continued stance of Roosevelt and the production of such stance in works of radio and policies, of isolationism and neutrality. Since Wilsons plan of the league of nations was vetoed by congress, the US throughout adopted a policy off isolations in terms of asian affairs and also europeans affairs. Roosevelt maintained this isolationism in national sense by refusing to help the allies nor provide weapons initially.
If there is anybody who could help look over it and tell me the issues I would so grateful! Thank you so much!