An Analysis of American Government Intervention During Economic Turmoil

​​This paper argues that the most severe economic turmoil in the United States can be attributed to government intervention. Through analyzing three detrimental economic collapses from different periods including the Great Depression, the 1987 stock market crash, and the 2008 financial crisis, governments' economic policies have triggered and exacerbated these crashes. Examining the transition away from free market principles, the United States’ current economic approach that constructs a need for governmental oversight has led to many unintended consequences to an extreme degree. Governmental actions that attempt to mitigate risk and stabilize the market have repeatedly instigated further instability and speculation throughout the economy.