Final answer:
Herbert Hoover initially favored a "laissez-faire" approach to ending the Great Depression because he believed that the economy would self-correct and businesses would create jobs. However, his response was insufficient, and he was criticized for being unsympathetic to the struggles of ordinary people.
Step-by-step explanation:
Herbert Hoover initially favored a "laissez-faire" approach to ending the Great Depression because he followed a long-standing tradition of government non-interference in the economy and believed that the economy would self-correct over time. He believed that businesses would create jobs, which would provide relief without assistance from any government or organization. However, his limited response did not effectively address the crisis, and he was criticized for being unsympathetic to the struggles of ordinary people during the Great Depression.