Herbert Hoover: “Rugged Individualism” Campaign Speech

Questions for Further Study

• 1. According to Hoover, what makes the U.S. political and social system different from others in the world?
• 2. What were the three main national problems that the United States faced on the eve of the election in Hoover's view?
• 3. What was the U.S. economy like in the 1920s? What were some of the nation's economic strengths? What were some of the most significant weaknesses or problems?
• 4. What did Hoover argue was the appropriate role for government in relation to the U.S. economy? How did this role differ from the one adopted during World War I?