Core Belief: The belief that individuals are responsible for their own well-being and should rely on their own efforts, skills, and initiative to succeed. Government intervention should be limited, and individuals should be self-reliant.
Emphasis: Stressed the importance of personal responsibility, hard work, and volunteerism to overcome challenges.
Application during the Great Depression: Hoover believed private charities and local governments should be the primary means of providing relief during the economic crisis. He resisted direct federal aid to individuals, fearing it would create dependency on the government. He favored indirect methods like loans to businesses and states in hopes of stimulating the economy from the top down (trickle-down economics).
Impact: Why Significant?:
Initial Appeal: Resonated with traditional American values of self-reliance and limited government.
Ineffectiveness during the Depression: Proved inadequate in addressing the widespread suffering caused by the Great Depression. Private charities and local governments were overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis.
Increased Suffering: Hoover’s resistance to direct federal relief led to widespread criticism and intensified public hardship, as many people faced starvation, homelessness, and unemployment.
Political Fallout: Hoover’s adherence to “rugged individualism” contributed to his unpopularity and his defeat in the 1932 presidential election.
Contrast with the New Deal: “Rugged Individualism” stands in sharp contrast to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal policies, which embraced direct government intervention and relief programs to address the Depression’s effects. The New Deal marked a significant shift in the role of the federal government in American life.
Legacy: “Rugged Individualism” remains a key concept in American political discourse, often invoked by those advocating for limited government and individual responsibility. However, the Great Depression demonstrated the limitations of this philosophy in times of severe economic crisis.