October 1987 crash didn't cause a depression

So why did market volatility in 2008 have to result in a serious recession?  This current administration wants to keep blaming the financial system troubles in 2008 for the conditions today, but a worse decline happened before and there wasn't anything like what we have had.  My point is that it is quite possible that the policy makers are making things worse, not better.  If there's another Great Depression, it will be because bad policies from this current administration, not the previous one.