Herbert Hoover had a very relaxed attitude towards the great depression. He believed that it would go away with time. He also thought that instead of government programs to help people, such as welfare, charities and churches should be taking care of people, not the government. Essentially he didn't think the government should be handling it. Over time, it became obvious that charities and churches could not help the millions of people in need that were starving and homeless. He enacted a few government programs but by then it was too late. The depression had lasted far too long, and people were done with him. He lost his reelection to Franklin Roosevelt.