Evaluation of a President Franklin D Roosevelt - Paper Example

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's victory in the presidential election was a show of a shift in the American political landscape. Roosevelts presidency marked a new day in politics as the executive branch outdid the legislature to become the prime force in the federal government. Franklin D. Roosevelt made the Americans feel his presence from the moment he took command of the presidential office. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, known as FDR is considered as the greatest president America ever had. One of the effects of the Great Depression, which occurred during his tenure, was the twenty-five percent rate of unemployment which occurred mostly during the presidential campaign period. In his speech, during the inauguration, Franklin promised to act on the dark realities of the moment and wage a war against the emergency (Amadeo). Herein lays an evaluation of the performance of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in office.

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The world over, leaders are recognized by their character. Each has a unique trait which they use to their advantage and Roosevelt was not an exception. He believed in creating close associations with his people hence the development of a strong link with the public during his tenure (Shaskus 42). Franklin Roosevelt took advantage of the ability to speak directly to the people and the use of radio for communication. He is also identified as bringing about the introduction of live address to the American public and Congress. It led to the continued support of the public for their chief executive. Furthermore, the Americans rallied around Roosevelt whenever they were faced with danger, affording him a sense of confidence. Ever since Roosevelts first campaign for the state senate of New York, he referred to himself in politics as the farmers friend. According to his new deal, the President intended to provide relief to farm, factory and rail workers. It also reflected his desire to help the less fortunate. Even though Roosevelt wanted to help others, he lacked the means of communication with the American citizens. It is through his innovative communication techniques that he managed to resolve this communication barrier by employing various methods to disseminate and obtain information. President Franklins communication skills allowed him to transform the office of the executive. He reached out to the foreign and public leaders in ways that were never done before. Additionally, his ingenious strategies ensured he got support for his agenda and enhanced growth of his public image (Shaskus 67). FDR removed barriers which existed previously between the federal government and the American electorate, hence making him develop a healthy relationship with the public. On a scale of A to F, FDR scored an A.

Political aspirants appeal to the masses using their manifestos. In them are promises of that which they will achieve if they are elected. These proclamations include policies which should be implemented as soon as one occupies the office. When these individuals are elected into these positions, some experience challenges that make it impossible to fulfill their agenda. Franklin Roosevelt was an exception since he was unbowed by pressure and unshaken by looming impossibilities. Whenever he was faced with a legislative challenge, he found his way around it and consequently emerged victorious. Roosevelt got into office during a time when the nation was in a deteriorating state. He was in a position to act as he wished without arousing counter-pressures. During that period, the nation was in a situation of economic crisis and the lack of restraint from the Congress, Roosevelt took advantage of the opportunity and ushered 15 key bills through Congress (Cohen 78). Despite his success in the passing of many laws, the effectiveness of his New Deal was stopped as the Supreme Court declared the New Deal legislation as unconstitutional. Roosevelt experienced many other defeats with other New Deal bills as the Supreme Court struck down legislation including the Farm Mortgage Law, Railroad Pension Act, and Agricultural Adjustment Act. Faced with the difficulty of risking further defeat and his bill amendment, Roosevelt instead proposed an alteration in the federal judiciary. Roosevelt displayed the characteristic of adaptive leadership from the episodes of his defeat at the hands of the court. For the above reasons, FDR deserves a B in policy and legislation.

The Great Depression caused changes to Americas economy. The 1929 stock market crash led to the collapse of more than forty percent of American Banks by 1933. Americans suffered widespread economic disruption as consumers lost confidence while those with pensions grappled with the possibility of a value reduction. In the first 100 days of his presidency, President Franklin D. Roosevelt closed banks for four days to stop people from withdrawing from them until Congress could pass reforms. Consequently, the Emergency Banking Act was introduced. Thanks to this act, twelve Federal Reserve Banks were mandated to deliver additional money on safe assets. Finally, he urged Americans to put back their savings back in the banks, and by the end of the month, three-quarter of the banks was open (Amadeo). The achievements included the Emergency Banking Act. It ensured stability and eventually terminated the bank crisis that had resulted from The Great Depression. The Great Depression also caused a high rate of unemployment and poverty. One of the New Deals of President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the establishment of The Work Projects Administrations. The achievements included the enactment of the Social Security Act. It was an Act that was informed by the need to provide economic security for the poor, elderly, and sick. Also, the National Labor Relations Act adoption guaranteed the fundamental rights of private sector employees (Amadeo). It led to the rate of unemployment decreasing from 25% to 1.9% percent by the end of his presidency. Thanks to Roosevelt, Americans enjoyed economic stability during his tenure. In this area, a B would suffice.

The proverbial saying that No man is an island applies to the situation with states. Foreign policies ensure that a nation can safeguard their interests while at the same time interacting with other countries symbiotically. Franklin Roosevelt took it upon himself to ensure different foreign policies were tailor-made to suit various countries. To both the citizens of the United States of America and worldwide leaders, he personalized the position by reaching into the domestic and foreign policies. Franklin D. Roosevelts roles as the commander in chief expanded the domestic and foreign policies, and this could get identified by some of the crises that occurred during his reign. Edward Corwin, a scholar of politics and jurisprudence assessed the impact of Roosevelts use of war powers on constitutional doctrine, he stated; the emergency preceded the war and continued beyond it (Amadeo). The Commander in Chief transformed the power accorded to him from that of the pure power of military command during the time of the emergency by reserving powers that were general. The transformation could get seen with how he dealt with the Second World War crisis. Franklin battled with the Great Depression as a commander in chief and established the economic status of the United States of America (Amadeo). He, therefore, garners a B.

Although he was physically enfeebled by poliomyelitis in 1921 at the age of 39, he was highly respected as a president. As a living example that disability is not inability, Franklins power within his political party was contagious. He was a very dynamic chief party leader who, at his desk, showed physical strength due to massive muscles and a powerful chest. As a leader who could not walk, he led a nation paralyzed by uncertainty and despair (Freedman 30). Franklin D. Roosevelt exuded economic prowess since he was an excellent manager of the economy. He instituted programs to revive business and agriculture to solve unemployment and economic hardship. The wealthy class viewed him as a traitor to the rich (Freedman 43). The business community also mocked his approach for allowing a budget deficit. Untamable by criticism, Franklin managed the economy by introducing social policies and insurance measures for the unemployed, bank depositors, and social protection policies like the minimum wage. His ability, not only as a central party leader but also as a global leader was demonstrated by his dealings with an international crisis such as the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt responded by inspiring the nation to stand strong and resist intimidation from all hostile nations at the time, like the Japan. Franklin also led the nation to win World War II (Freedman 149). His foreign policy also resulted in the formation of bipartisan coalitions. He began by lending all manner of support for Britain against Germany, despite condemnation by Americans with German family ties. This bipartisan relationship with Britain has persisted to date. His administration introduced some legislation that regulated and controlled the railroads for the sake of industrialization (Freedman 25). How FRD maintained high approval ratings at the time when the nation faced serious challenges of war, and economic depression have been a subject of elaborate studies. Although he faced a backlash from economic groups which felt threatened by the New Deal program of his administration, his approach to leadership was inspirational when he invited even key leaders of republican government to support him in the grand coalition (Freedman 28). Franklin was very conscious of his public approval due to Gallup Organization which consistently gauged his ratings. It made him to strategically install people all over the county to update him about his public ratings, a move that was backed by communication structures which his successors found irresistible. He kept the media alert and conducted vibrant fireside chats, while at the same time corresponding all the time with different audiences (Freedman 25). In light of these events, Franklin can be accorded a B.

All in all, President Franklin Roosevelt was able to hold his policy view firmly through his actions. He stood out for his policies and worked within his power to ensure that they were passed. FDR managed to stand firm and also able to set terms of policies discourses. President Franklin D. Roosevelts reign was emergencies filled; World War II crisis and the Great Depression which led to political threats, economic dangers and legal uncertainties and he hoped that constitutional order would return from the temporary deformation after all the emergencies of his time. President Franklin D. Roosevelt showed that the powers of the president would not only come from the constitution an example being war times but also from politics, proper restraints and majorly the character of the president. He stabilized a country that was falling. On average, President Roosevelt can be graded as a B President.

Works Cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Amadeo, Kimberly . "FDR: Economic Policies and Accomplishments." 2017. www.thebalance.com. 3 April 2017. <https://www.thebalance.com/fdr-economic-policies-and-accomplishments-3305557>.

Cohen, Adam. THE NEW DEAL: the First 100 Days. 2009. 4 April 2017. <http://www.content.time.com>.

Freedman, Russell. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Clarion Books. New York, 1990.Shaskus, Anthony Pizzonia. Evaluating Presidential Success in the Modern Era. The Ohio State University, 2008.