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The “Great Engineer” as Administrator: Herbert Hoover and Modern Bureaucracy*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2009

Peri E. Arnold
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Extract

A half century ago Herbert Hoover entered the presidency and the “Great Engineer” of the 1920's became, after 1930, the butt of Depression era jokes. The economic collapse which began in 1929 not only broke Hoover's presidency, it obscured his accomplishments as a key public figure in American life during this century.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Review of Politics , Volume 42 , Issue 3 , July 1980 , pp. 329 - 348
Copyright
Copyright © University of Notre Dame 1980

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References

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3 Ibid., p. 484.

4 For a discussion of the weakness of the traditional or “orthodox” conception of administration and the profoundly political character of modern administration, see Seidman, Harold, Politics, Position, and Power (New York, 1970)Google Scholar, chaps. 1–3.

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14 Ibid.

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28 In 1924 Hoover stated: “We often lay too much stress upon competitive features, too little upon the fact that it [business] is in essence a great cooperative effort.” Transcript, speech before 1924 meeting of Chamber of Commerce of U.S., Official File, Commerce Papers, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library. In a discussion of the tension between group and individual interests and its effect on action, see Olson, Mancur, The Logic of Collective Action (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1965).Google Scholar

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34 New York Times, 13 08 1921.Google Scholar

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45 See Lloyd, Craig, Aggressive Introvert (Columbus, 1972), chap. 4.Google Scholar

46 Ibid.

47 Herter, Christian to Resnick, Louis, 4 05 1921Google Scholar, National Conference of Business Paper Editors: 1921–1923, Official File, Commerce Papers, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library.

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49 After Roosevelt entered office, the department was cut back because of its status and reputation as Hoover's creation. Memo, , Raiffa, A. L., 15 01 1933Google Scholar, F#80553, RG 40, National Archives.

50 See Weber, , and Mouzelis, Nicos P., Organisation and Bureaucracy (Chicago, 1968), chaps. 1–2.Google Scholar

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