While Herbert Hoover did attempt ways to help the American people during the Great Depression, he was still highly conservative, which affected some of his policies. He was an avid supporter of "laissez-faire", or "hands off" economy, meaning that the government did not interfere in the economy unless absolutely necessary. Even in light of the Great Depression, he still attempted minimal assistance in the economy by the government. His opponent in the 1932 election, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was not a supporter of laissez-faire, which is part of the reason FDR beat Hoover so marginally in the election.