are economic downturns better or worse for gov?

I wonder if economic downturns including depressions are better or worse for a state? I think that they are bad for a state, and cause it to pursue more deregulation but this contradicts stuff like Obama/FDR/Hoover who pursued more regulation in the face of crisis (not to mention Hitler). Yet, it seems that at least 19th century depressions didn’t nearly attract as much government intervention.

Thoughts anyone?