Final answer:
President Hoover responded to the Great Depression by initially relying on American individualism and limited government intervention, but later expanded public works programs and created the RFC to issue loans.
Step-by-step explanation:
President Hoover responded to the onset of the Great Depression by initially relying on his belief in American individualism and limited government intervention. He asked individuals to work harder and the business community to voluntarily sustain the economy. However, as the crisis worsened, Hoover expanded public works programs, passed a tax cut, and created the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) to issue loans to businesses. Despite these efforts, Hoover's response was criticized for being inadequate to address the social and economic consequences of the Depression.