Final answer:
The Hoover administration's efforts to alleviate the distress of the Great Depression centered on fiscal policy through the establishment of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and the Emergency Relief Act.
Step-by-step explanation:
The response of the Hoover administration to alleviate distress during the Great Depression primarily focused on fiscal policy measures. President Hoover held a philosophy of American individualism and initially resisted governmental intervention. Despite this, he eventually took action through the establishment of federal programs. The most notable of these was the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), which aimed to reinforce public confidence in financial institutions, and the Emergency Relief Act. The latter allowed the RFC to invest in local public works projects to stimulate economic recovery. However, these measures were considered insufficient and arrived too late to prevent the economy's further decline.