The answer to this question is largely an opinion response and would depend on the one's own perspective of the role of government. The Great Depression was probably the world's greatest economic collapse ever. Two presidents in the United States approached the crisis from different perspectives. Historians still cannot come to a conclusion as to the effectiveness of either response.
Herbert Hoover believed in a limited government approach in response to the Great Depression. Hoover believed that the economy would fix itself if the government stayed out of its way. He also felt that charities and churches should provide security and comfort for those that suffered in the economic collapse.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, on the other hand, believed that a strong government response was needed to fix the Great Depression. He ordered government programs that were to oversee the economy, provide relief for the jobless, and supply jobs for those struggling to make ends meet.
Historians widely acknowledge the role of World War II in ending the Great Depression in the United States. This was a conflict, however, that plunged the United States into debt. It would be foolhardy to propose that any country should utilize war as a means for correcting the economy.
The best response for handling an economic crisis is probably to prevent the crisis from occurring in the first place. This can, and has been done through manipulation of the interest rates and through taxation policies.
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