Category: Franklin Roosevelt

Introduction

The United States of America has enjoyed independence since 1796, the year that she was freed by the British colonial government. Since then, the country has continued to grow in all sectors of economy to become the worlds only super power.

On the same note, it has had many presidents, some of which are remembered for their good legacy; while others are remembered for their bad leadership especially in matters pertaining to economy. One of the famous and remembered presidents is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was the United States of America president prior and during the outbreak of the World War II.

Why did President Franklin Roosevelt veto more bills than any other president of the United States of America?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the thirty second president of the United States of America. He became the United States President in 1933, having succeeded Herbert Hoover. Prior to becoming the President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had served as the 44^th governor of New York from January 1929 to December, 31^st 1932.

According to Pfiffner (21), in order for a bill to pass through, it has to receive a simple majority of votes in both the House of Representatives and in the Senate. He has claimed that in the House of Representatives, at least two hundred and eighteen of the four hundred and thirty five members must vote in favor of such a bill. On the other hand, the Senate has to have at least fifty one members out of the hundred supporting the bill.

In the United States, and as per the constitution, every bill passed by the House of Representatives is given to the president for assent. The president is supposed to approve the bill and sign it before it is made law. If the president does not approve the bill, he should return it to the house, stating his objections, for more debate.

The presidential assent must be done within 10 days without counting Sundays. In case he does not approve and sign the bill by this period, the same bill will become a law. It will fail to become a law if the congress, by their adjournment provides otherwise.

One of the main reasons why President Franklin Delano Roosevelt vetoed many bills during his tenure compared to other presidents is because during his time, the United States of America went through some of the most challenging events in history, that is the Economic Recession of 1929. This therefore called for bills addressing the plight of the people and the country so that adequate measures can to be put in place to protect the whole country. He vetoed a total of six hundred and thirty five bills.

By the time Franklin became the United States president, Pfiffner (21) has argued that the country was still recovering from the 1929 Great Depression that continued to persist until the United States went to war after the attack at the Pearl Harbor. He notes that the attack on Pearl Harbor made the United States of America participate in the World War II.

Therefore, in an attempt to rebuild the United States ailing economy, President Roosevelt initiated a New Deal Concept. This was meant to try and provide relief for all the members of the public and especially the employed ones from loosing such employment opportunities. He noted that, this deal was very complex because it involved other aspects of economy that were all intertwined.

In addition, Conley (20) argues that Roosevelt had established well informed advisors who would help him on when to veto a certain bill. He gave an instance in 1944 when Roosevelt vetoed the tax measures in the Senate. He has observed that Roosevelt vetoed the bill and termed it as a bill not meant to help the poor people but one meant to help the greedy in the society.

He has further stated that Roosevelt wanted to preserve the integrity of the United States of America. He notes that by vetoing some of the bills, Roosevelt wanted them to be taken back to the Senate so that they could be deliberated upon in details so that such bills did not provide obstacles in future.

On the other hand, Henderson (20) has stated that Roosevelt did not want the United States of America citizens deprived of the benefits of areas that had been regarded as historic and recreational. This point has been illustrated by the president refusal to assent to a bill seeking to abolish the Jackson Hole National Monument in 1943. In his remarks, he noted that his predecessors had not abolished the national monument and therefore he would not be exceptional.

Another reason why Franklin Delano Roosevelt vetoed most of the bills was to make sure that the Congress was run by his fellow democrats. This is according to Karlyn (28), who has observed that Franklin Roosevelt had initiated a plan that would help the subsequent Congresses be controlled by the democrats. To make sure his intentions worked as planned, he says that Franklin Roosevelt vetoed most of the bills brought by the Republican members of the Congress for him to assent to.

According to Pfiffner (20), Franklin Delano Roosevelt has been the longest serving the United States of America president in history. He says that some of his predecessors and successors have been serving utmost a period of two terms. However, Franklin Roosevelt served for four terms, that is from 1935 to 1945, when he died while he had just begun his fourth term. As a result, Pfiffner (20) says that this is enough time for him to have vetoed such a huge number of bills.

In addition, Deen (22) has observed that during his tenure, the number of Democrats in the Congress and in the Senate was not enough to counter that of the Republicans. Therefore, whenever a bill was presented to the senate or Congress it sailed through quickly through the simple majority vote.

This left Democrats without any significant influence in both houses. As a result, Franklin Roosevelt had to use his power to veto most of these bills to tame the influence of the Republicans on the Democrats. Moreover, he has claimed that Franklin Roosevelt vetoed some of the bills because they failed to reflect the wishes of many people in the society.

He has argued that Roosevelts failures to assent to some of the bills were informed by the public opinion on certain bills. He claims that Roosevelt had been elected as a very popular president and would therefore do all within his powers to make sure that the people are served according to their expectations. He says that during his entire period, Roosevelt remained and died as a popular president.

In 1944, Karlyn (28) noted that President Franklin Roosevelt declined to assent to the Revenue Bill because it was in a way contradicting itself. He says that in his remarks after declining to assent to it, he said that the bill had purported to increase the national revenue by over two billion dollars. However, Roosevelt said that the bill itself would provide less than one billion dollars to the economy. As a result of that, Roosevelt said that he was compelled in deciding that the bill itself was ineffective in realizing its objective.

The other reason why Franklin Delano Roosevelt vetoed some of the bills presented to him for assent was because he wanted to keep the United States of America away from the European affairs. Prior to the attack of the Pearl Harbor by the Japanese navy, many people had requested the President to allow the military to help Europe end the war to no avail. However, soon after the attack, Franklin Roosevelt declared war on Japan and her allies. The United States therefore joined Britain and her allies in the war.

The failure by Roosevelt to assent to bills presented to him was as a result of huge division by the members of the Congress and the Senate. This is according to Miller Center (2), which says that Roosevelt wanted to remain neutral so that he could not be seen as inclining on one side of the debate.

It says that the president would return such bills to the Senate and the Congress so that they could be debated further and an amicable agreement is found. This would go along way in making sure that there is peace and tranquility after he has assented to such bills. Although, some of the bills he vetoed were later assented to, many people have regarded him as one of the best United States of America chief executives.

Roosevelt goes down in history as the longest serving president in the US, after being elected for a fourth term. This means he came across the number of bills than any other president. Was he to serve for the two terms that most presidents were subjected to, president Grover Cleveland would have passed him for he vetoed the most number of bills than any other president for the full two terms.

Roosevelt is therefore favored by the length of time he served in the office. Coupled with this is also the rate of happening of events at that particular time. This long tenure in the office was characterized by turbulent events of the depression and the World War, meaning a big deal of bills had to be proposed by congress than during normal times.

Conclusion

Franklin Delano Roosevelt has remained the longest serving presidents of the United States to date. Although, he has remained as the President who vetoed most of the bills, his contribution to shaping the modern day United States of Americas society has lived on.

Therefore, the subsequent governments should have made sure that his legacy continues to live on by carrying on with all the projects he had initiated. This would be a positive initiative because it will ensure that those born after his death continue to learn about his achievements. In terms of vetoing bills, the subsequent presidents should make sure that the bills are well scrutinized to avoid negative consequences in future arising from such bills.

Works Cited

Conley, Richard. Toward a New Typology of Vetoes and Overrides. Political Research Quarterly 54 (2001): pp. 31.

Deen, Rebecca. Veto Threats as a Policy Tool: When to Threaten? Presidential Studies Quarterly 32 (2002): 30-45.

Henderson, Phillip. The presidency then and now. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2000.

Karlyn, Kohrs. Presidents creating the presidency: deeds done in words. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008.

Miller Center. American President: A Reference Resource. Key Events in the

Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Boston Cengage Learning. n. d. Web.

Pfiffner, James. The Modern Presidency. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2011.

Family background

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born in a wealthy family and married his wife Eleanor who also came from a rich family. He attended Groton School in Massachusetts which was populated with students from rich families (Feinberg 56). Roosevelt learned most of his good temperaments from his headmaster whom he highly regarded. In 1903, he was admitted to Harvard College where he graduated with an A.B. in history (Davis 53). He later received an honorary LL.D from the same college in 1929. His academic pursuit was impressive and he is recorded to have joined the Columbia law school in 1904 although he dropped out three years later.

On March 17, 1905, he married his wife Eleanor whom he met while in college although his mother was opposed to his decision to marry her (Goodwin 62). They had six children: Anna Eleanor, James, Franklin Delano, Elliot, and John Aspinwall. Like many other presidents who came after Roosevelt, his term in office was full of scandals regarding his infidelity and unsteady marriage (Lash 45). However, his situation was quite different because very little was known about his marital problems. It was later established that his wife had offered him a divorce although it never sufficed (Roosevelt 40).

Military service

His ambition to create a bigger and stronger Navy when he served as an assistant secretary in the Navy was incredible. He founded the United States Navy reserve and mobilized budgetary approval from the congressional leadership (Feinberg 57). His leadership gained credit since no single strike occurred during the seven years he served in the navy (Lash 46). However, he had his share of scandalous events with the major one being the Newport sex scandal that caused great damage to his reputation as well as political ambitions.

The economic depression

Roosevelt ruled the United States of America from 1933-1945 as the 32^nd president (McJimsey 33). His credits as a leader are tied to his successful leadership amidst the alarming economic depression that was a challenge to his administration. His popularity is further proved by the fact that he is the only president in the history of America to have been elected for more than two terms (Feinberg 22). His twelfth year rule is both historic and iconic. His political achievements, however, do not end with his unique three terms in office. He was also credited for putting together a coalition that dominated and shaped the American political arena for years even after leaving office (Feinberg 23).

Winning against Hoover

FDR as he was popularly called won the election defeating the incumbent republican Herbert Hoover at the climax of the 1932 great economic depression (Schewe 9). His optimistic character and a relentless spirit were the most notable contributors to his success and popularity. He had proudly recovered from a paralytic illness and his victory formed the basis of the national spirit (Schewe 9). Roosevelts close allies included the famous Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin who were very helpful to his administration especially during the World War II.

His unique leadership qualities began to proliferate in the first hundred days in office as the United States president. In less than four months, Roosevelt had already put in place executive orders that gave way for the creation of government jobs (McJimsey). In the same period, economic recovery policies were implemented and the economy begun to recover (Feinberg 11). His active involvement in creating a better economy and a strong nation in terms of military defense bestowed immense popularity upon him and his administration.

It is crucial to lay emphasis on the events surrounding Roosevelts terms in office. First and foremost, he led the country during a time of war and took the reins of power at the peak of an economic breakdown. Nonetheless, his skills in leadership gave him an upper hand and he always won against his challenges. For instance, in his first term in office, the economy was rapidly growing. Some of the programs formed by his government, such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, exist to date (McJimsey 112). Others include the Social Security which was passed during his third year in office (Feinberg 10).

Second World War

During the World War II, Roosevelts administration was very instrumental in providing financial and diplomatic aid to allies (Nixon and Delano 34). He intended to make the American government an Arsenal of Democracy and his decision enjoyed great national support (Schewe 12). During the war, his notable involvement was his financial support for his allies. His military knowledge saw a successful implementation of a war strategy that led to the defeat of the Axis powers not to mention the development of the first worlds atomic bomb (Schewe 15).

His records on employment policies during his administration had a superior influence on the electorate (Black 79). The Works Progress administration alone created employment for two million families reducing the employment rate from 20.6% to about 12.5% (Black 79). This was a significant drop in the unemployment rate and was a very good move which improved his rating as a president who delivered. The social security policy gave the elderly a reason to smile by providing economic security for them. These are just a few of the great thing Roosevelt achieved during his rein in power.

Works Cited

Bardhan-Quallen, Sudipta. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Our National Hero. New York, NY: Sterling, 2007. Print.

Black, Conrad. Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom. New York, NY: Public Affairs, 2003. Print.

Davis, Kenneth. FDR: The Beckoning of Destiny, 1882-1928. New York, NY: Putnam, 1973. Print.

Feinberg, Barbara Silberdick. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Americas 32nd President. New York, NY: Childrens Press, 2005. Print.

Goodwin, Doris Kearns. No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II, New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1994. Print.

Lash, Joseph. Eleanor, and Franklin: The Story of Their Relationship, Based on Eleanor Roosevelts Private Papers. New York, NY: Norton, 1971. Print.

McJimsey, George. The Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2000. Harness, Cheryl. Franklin & Eleanor. New York, NY: Dutton Childrens Books, 2004. Print.

Nixon, Edgar, and Franklin Delano. Roosevelt and Foreign Affairs, Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1969. Print.

Roosevelt, Elliott. His Personal Letters, New York: Duell, Sloan, and Pearce, 1950. Print.

Schewe, Donald. Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Foreign Affairs, January 1937-August 1939, New York: Garland, 1983. Print.

The New Deal

• Was initiated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt;
• He was the 32nd president of the United States;
• He governed from 1933 to 1938;
• His administration inherited the devastation of the great Depression;
• The great depression commenced in 1929 with the stock market collapse.

Economic Objectives of the New Deal

The strengthening of the economy though:

• The empowerment of the American people;
• Dealing with the devastation of the great depression through immediate relief;
• Supporting workers;
• Boosting agriculture;
• Boosting the production of electrical power;
• The generation of jobs for the people;
• Encouraging spending so as to stir up the economy;
• Prevent bank panic;
• Restore stock market confidence;
• Protect American industries from total collapse;
• Uphold the emerging economic authority of the United States.

The ills the New Deal Sought to Heal

The Strategy Identified To deal with The Economic Concerns of the Time

Putting cash in the pockets of Americans (The Equivalent of President Bush and President Obamas Stimulus Package).

Government funding for massive projects in various areas such as electric energy, water and irrigation, and industry in general.

Direct support for workers, professionals and farmers.

Twelve Major New Deal programs

• Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA);
• Public Works Administration (PWA);
• Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA);
• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA);
• Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC);
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC);
• National Recovery Administration (NRA);
• Works Progress Administration (WPA);
• Rural Electrification Administration (REA);
• National Youth Administration (NYA);
• Wagner Act;
• Social Security Act.

Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)

Was created as the Emergency Relief Administration in 1932 by President Herbert Hoover.

It was given the new name under president Roosevelt in 1933 .

The purpose was to give grants to states to help women start self help projects.

It was replaced by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1935. which also ended in 1943.

Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC)

• This was established in the 31st of March 1933.
• This was FDRs first month in office.
• The CCC provided work opportunities mainly for unskilled youth.
• The major work was construction of buildings and working in national parks.
• The program ended on the 30th of June 1943.

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

It replaced the federal Emergency Relief Administration in 1935 (Taylor 21).

The aim was to create jobs for the people (Taylor 20).

By the time it was ended in 1943,close to eight million jobs had been created by the WPA.

Public Works Administration (PWA)

• Created in response to the great Depression in 1933 by the National Industrial Recovery Act.
• It concentrated on heavy spending in public works such as bridges and roads so as to trigger industrial growth.
• It ended in 1939.
• Below: Fort Peck Montana, one of the largest dams in the planet resulted from PWA.

Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA)

• Created in 1933 to pay farmers to produce less and raise crop value.
• Was amended in 1938 to include new changes that outlawed taxing crop processors.
• The agency still exists.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

• Created on the 18th of May 1933.
• Main objective was to control flooding along the Tennessee River and generate electric power.
• The project still exists.
• Below: Wilson Dam-First to be built under the TVA.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

• Established in 1933.
• Aim was to provide security for deposits for member banks.
• It still exists for the same purpose.
• More duties include supervision of certain financial institutions.

The Wagner Act

• Enacted in 1935 under the sponsorship of Senator Wagner. It is also called the National Labor Relations Act.
• It was formed to protect workers on private firms from being mistreated.
• It was amended in 1947 and it still exists.
• Below: FDR sings the Wagner Act 19 1935.

The Social Security Act

• Enacted in 1935 with the aim of protecting the old, needy families, the disabled and the unemployed.
• It has been amended but it basically remains the same. Medicare and Medicaid are part of the act currently.
• It still exists.
• Below: First beneficiary of Social Security-Ida Fuller.

The National Recovery Administration (NRA)

• Formed in 1933.
• Declared unconstitutional in 1935 by the US Supreme Court.
• It died in 1935, but most of its provisions reappeared in the Wagner Act.
• Below: First NRA Director, Mr. Hugh Johnson.

National Youth Administration (NYA)

• Formed as part of the WPA in 1935.
• Its aim was to offer work study programs for high school and college students.
• It died in 1943.
• Below: NYA Guidance session.

Rural Electrification Administration (REA)

Was created by an executive order in 1935 by FDR and approved by the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (Brown 19).

The aim was to spearhead the electrification process of rural America (Brown 34).

It worked hand in hand with TVA and other New Deal Job creation ideas and achieved massive success. It was abolished in 1994 and its place was taken by the Rural Utilities Service.

Works Cited

Brown, Deward. Electricity for Rural America: The Fight for the REA (Contributions in Economics and Economic History).New York: Greenwood Press,1980.Print.

Taylor, David . Soul of a People: The WPA Writers Project Uncovers Depression America New York: Wiley & Sons, 2009.Print.

www.en.wikipedia.org

The United States was in the middle of the Great Depression when Roosevelt was elected. The banking system was in crisis, and almost a quarter of the workforce was unemployed. Salaries and wages for those still employed reduced drastically as the production did. President Roosevelts New Deals focus was to offer instant economic relief and bring about reforms to stabilize the economy. Therefore, the New Deal in Tennessee included public work administration, agriculture adjustment administration, civilian conservation corps, Tennessee recovery authority, national recovery administration, and the work progress administration.

The government agency decided to reduce unemployment and improve the purchasing power via the building of public building structures and highways. Being governed by the national industrial recovery act, the PWA was established by Roosevelt and controlled by his internal secretarys governing body. During his tenure, the PWA used much money to build its educational structures, city halls, public health structures, law courts, sewage disposal, bridges, roads, and subways.

In the United States history, the New Deals strategy was to redeem agriculture development during the Great Depression and war by limiting farm output, declining export surpluses, and increasing cost. The Agricultural Balance Act was a compilation farm-relief bill exemplifying the structures of the great national farm corporations. The act aimed to restore the prices for agricultural produce to a point equal to purchasing power. However, the product credit corporation with agriculture storage and loan plan was implemented to enable price-aiding loans and purchase certain products.

Moreover, the Deal was established to advance farmers living standards, regulate rain overflows, advance navigation, and produce electrical power alongside the Tennessee River and its streams. The Tennessee River was prone to floods, and navigation was interfered with by a sequence of shoals. Therefore, the United States Congress authorized a bill implementing the Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, hence incorporating all the events of different government agencies in the region and locating them under ones governance. Consequently, a massive plan of constructing dams, flood-regulating projects, and hydroelectric generating stations was started. Therefore, the combination of a wide range of certain powers with a view of social accountability to the area made TVA essential as an example of natural resource planning.

Further, Roosevelt implemented the Deal was to fuel business recovery via just-exercise codes during the great depression and war. The National Recovery Administration, NRA, was a vital component of the NRA act. It allowed the president to incorporate industry board codes to eradicate unjust trade exercises, implement minimum and maximum wage hours, combat unemployment, and assure the workforces rights to bargain collectively.

Another great importance of the New Deal was to offer aid for several victims of the war and Great Depression and preserve their self-respect and skills. The economy would, in turn, be fuelled by the increased purchasing power of the newly recruited employees with a broad monthly salary. I see many similarities with today when the government establishes a project to improve a places livelihoods. Still, the set goals are not achieved, like the New Deal in Tennessee. The effects of the Great Depression never disappeared, unemployment continued, and farmers continued to face many challenges, and famine struck the place. Sometimes, the prevailing situation is beyond the ability of the government to eradicate the problem at once.

In conclusion, the election of Roosevelt seemed like a solution to the impacts of the Great Depression. In his 100 days, he passed legislation to pay commodity farmers to boost the prices. The New Deal improved the Tennessee Rivers navigability, offering flood regulation, improving Agriculture, commerce, and industry, operating hydroelectric power stations, reducing unemployment, and constructing highways. However, the Deal could not overcome the challenges of the Great Depression.

Franklin Roosevelt confidently won the US presidential elections in November 1932  he became president-elect. In the interval between the election and Roosevelts inauguration, the American banking system completely collapsed, and the world economy collapsed even more. From 1932-1933, both in the world in general and in the United States in particular, sentiments in favor of a dictatorial form of government were growing. Observing the regimes of Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin from the outside, many in America called for their imitation. Roosevelt believed that the government not only can but must achieve the subordination of private interests to collective interests. He considered it possible to replace the struggle of selfish interests with the cooperation of the parties. He also believed that economic life in the early twentieth century was characterized by critical imbalances that deprived a significant portion of the population of their livelihoods. The discussion below will address the question of the New Deal went too far in providing aid to Americans or not far enough.

The image of Franklin Delano Roosevelt is of great importance for the economic history of the United States, including its symbolic meaning. The period from 1929 to 1941, including the Great Depression and the New Deal, is undoubtedly one of the most important in American history. For economists, historians and political scientists, it is not so much what Roosevelt did. Specifically, that is important, but rather the fact that his New Deal is viewed in most cases as the ultimate argument in favor of state regulation of the economy (Powel, 2003). Modern economists and historians cite the Great Depression as a textbook example of what laissez-faire politics can lead to.

One hundred days  this was the name of the surge in legislative activity that was observed at the beginning of Roosevelts presidential term. During this period, Roosevelt sent 15 letters to Congress and, in turn, signed fifteen new laws. Such presidential activity was unprecedented and unsurpassed in the history of the United States  where the confrontation between the president and Congress has a long political history.

By May 1933, none of the many emergency measures provided positive stimulus to the US economy: the net effect of budget cuts and tax increases was clearly deflationary. Realizing this, Roosevelt began looking for funds to stimulate industry. At the same time, industry representatives were unable to agree on what steps should be taken. The president himself at that moment had nothing to offer to fight unemployment (Long, 1934). And Roosevelt instructed several groups at once, who knew nothing about each others activities, to prepare proposals for a bill on the restoration of industry.

Statistics have revealed other aspects of the impact of depression. Thus, faced with an uncertain future, young people postponed or canceled their plans to marry: the rate of new alliances fell by 22%. There are fewer children in married couples  by 15% compared to 1929. Despite the efforts of the New Deal, the unemployment rate never fell below 14% in the 1930s. The average over the decade was 17%. The Great Depression was not replaced by the New Deal: the new political program only slightly softened the ongoing economic crisis.

Throughout 1935, Roosevelt saw danger to his reform program, a program he believed was financially sound and politically cautious. By that time, the president had been preparing for a new reform campaign for over a year, and the attacks on the New Deal were the reason for its implementation. And this new policy, centered on security, has fundamentally changed the role of the federal government in the lives of ordinary Americans.

The Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 is a significant law; the presidential administration has requested an unprecedented amount of authority and the largest allocation in American peacetime history: $ 4 billion in new funds. Roosevelt resolutely refused to distribute financial or food aid to the unemployed since it caused the spiritual and moral decay of the nation; the president compared such aid to a drug. At the same time, he suggested that work fostered a sense of self-esteem in a person and clarified that the proposed measures would help to employ approximately 3.5 million unemployed.

Social security has become a key part of the new reform agenda. The idea of getting rid of unnecessary workers - especially those over 65 years old  gradually found more and more supporters. The system of government-guaranteed old-age pensions was moving from the field of marginal economic thought to a priority direction. Until late 1932, the American Federation of Labor continued to insist on direct negotiation of benefits between worker and employer (Long, 1934). The United States was virtually the only modern industrialized country without a nationwide social safety net. Wisconsin alone had an unemployment insurance program created in 1932.

The presidents insistence that the workers themselves should do their part created potential litigation risks, as the constitution did not give Congress the authority to engage in the insurance business. A sophisticated payout system, in proportion to previous earnings, was borrowed from the private insurance model as more acceptable to American society. The problem of people approaching retirement age remains (OpenStax, 2021). Workers who are already 45 years old did not have the technical ability to form significant reserves for their retirement. In 1939, all indicators of the state of the economy were worse than in 1929, which meant a complete failure of the interventionist programs of the New Deal of Roosevelt. He prolonged the Great Depression, did not bring America out of it. Many supporters of Roosevelt acknowledge the ineffectiveness of his programs, continuing to believe that the New Deal programs contributed to the creation of social policy. If the goals of these programs are the growth of the welfare of the poor and the general growth of the welfare, then Roosevelt also failed to achieve them.

For example, although unemployment decreased during this time due to an increase in the number of military personnel nevertheless, the total number of unemployed and military personnel remained at the same level. At the same time, the distribution of gasoline, tires, coffee, milk, cheese, canned food, footwear, meat, sugar, and typewriters by coupons was introduced. This situation can hardly be called an increase in prosperity (Powel, 2003). It should not be forgotten that prices during a war are not market prices. They are set by the state, so the GDP indicator during a war does not say anything. The GDP was recalculated on the basis of market prices, and its decline from 1941 to 1943 was obtained.

Thus, Congress sharply cut government spending, which became a source of growth in investment, consumption and entrepreneurial activity. Keynesian fears that the American economy in peacetime will face massive unemployment and an epidemic of violence did not materialize. Hence, Roosevelt could have been prolongated and enhanced his policy in order to achieve success.

References

OpenStax. (2021). U.S. Web.

Powel, J. (2003). Tough questions for defenders of the New Deal. CATO Institute. Web.

Long, H. P. (1934). Every man a king and Share our wealth. The American Yamp Reader. Web.

Introduction

Although interpretations of such a term as a progressive person may differ substantially, not solely from culture to culture, but even from one individual to another, there are certain overlap points. Specifically, the vast majority would agree that progressive people advocate for innovative ideas and frequently insist on adapting the rules that regulate the life of the society to recent trends. In political terms, progressivism is a movement that seeks to provide every member of society with a possibility to grow, self-actualize, and accomplish his or her goals. This paper examines and comments on the progressive ideology that President Theodore Roosevelt offered, notably presents its basic concepts, analyzes its goals, and describes its achievements.

Main body

It is worth noting that, according to Roosevelt, a progressive person is optimistic by definition. This means expecting the most favorable scenarios in every situation and never ceasing to search for possible improvements (Kakwata, 2017). In addition, the key role of the progressive lies in addressing the problems of the other, for which reason they are to remain enthusiastic and inspiring under any circumstances. A collective image of a progressive individual, therefore, involves a readiness to change society for the better through equality initiatives, free services, and other useful solutions.

On the contrary, anti-progressive people apparently are those who oppose the above way of development. Such a definition, however, is excessively generalized, which encouraged President Roosevelt to enhance it with certain specifications. Simply stated, he characterizes the anti-progressive as those who do not care about their surroundings (DeWitt & Pearson, 2017). For instance, such individuals do not accept any forms of cooperation with authorities for completing essential tasks since they do not want to be under control.

One of the most common megatrends in the modern world is eco-friendliness, improving as well as maintaining which presupposes a range of necessary reforms. Roosevelt most probably would classify those who support environmental initiatives as progressive and those who do not agree as anti-progressive. While the former insists on controlling the emissions of toxic waste and other solutions that can reduce water and air pollution, the latter speculates on why this is impossible. Another illustrative example is the debate on same-sex marriages, of which the anti-progressives normally disapprove and express this through interfering with gay pride, promoting anti-gay legislation, and others.

It is quite apparent from the above that the major peculiarity of anti-progressive individuals is the lack of desire to reconsider their conservative worldviews and adapt to new rules. Cheung & Bauer (2021) highlight that such behavior can weaken democracy by compromising equality and preventing the population from developing. The task of progressivism, meanwhile, is to enable it, which causes an ideological conflict between the two sides inevitably. For instance, large corporations frequently focus on profit but tend to neglect the well-being of the laborers, which behavior is quite normal in the opinion of the anti-progressives but unacceptable to their opponents.

In the above case, a progressive decision is any that targets improving working conditions. According to Roosevelt, it is more effective to implement the appropriate measures at a state level than individually, due to which the right to rule should belong exclusively to the government (DeWitt & Pearson, 2017). The President mentions not welcoming the regulations that particular powerful individuals set among the main goals of progressivism, which actually makes his view of this ideology quite similar to that of communism.

Generally, Roosevelt states that the progressive movement seeks to provide safety and prosperity for ordinary people. This is a complex and multi-dimensional task whose completion requires covering all major areas of public life, specifically, the educational, health care, transportation, social, economic, and political sectors. Thus, a well-known initiative of progressivists lies in banning packed food that contains harmful preservation drugs to improve public health (Kirchhelle, 2020). It resulted in the food inspection act that regulated the content of chemicals in products.

The given an example is one of the brightest but doubtlessly not the only. Roosevelt proclaims that progressivism actually helped the United Stated develop into a democratic society, which means conducive working environments, reasonable payments, and equal distribution of resources (DeWitt & Pearson, 2017). Another contribution to the empowerment of ordinary citizens by improving their financial capacity was the reduction of taxes. Finally, progressivists introduced new methods and approaches in science, hence promoting its modernization.

Summary

To summarize, President Theodore Roosevelt apparently was adept at such an ideology as progressivism, which he saw as a focus on positive changes to the most important spheres of social life. The opponents of innovative solutions, according to him, are possible to label anti-progressive, as they interfere with improvements and development. Considering the latter fact, the President regarded popularizing government-set rules as the main responsibility of progressivists since such an approach allows for minimizing individual regulations. This, in turn, favors equality and well-being of the ordinary population, providing which is the primary task of the movement. The examples that the paper involves as illustrations of the theoretical assumptions improve the demonstrativeness and allow for a broader perspective on the topic.

References

Cheung, D., & Bauer, J. N. (2021). Greed, Self-Interest and Business EthicsA Comparative Discussion of Gandhi and Novak. Journal of Religion and Business Ethics, 4, article 2.

DeWitt, B. P., & Pearson, S. A. (2017). The progressive movement: A non-partisan comprehensive discussion of current tendencies in American politics. Routledge.

Kakwata, F. (2017). The progressive Pentecostal conception of development within an African context of poverty. Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 3(1), 159-183. Web.

Kirchhelle, C. (2020). Pyrrhic progress: The history of antibiotics in Anglo-American food production. Rutgers University Press.

Theodore Roosevelt was one of the youngest American presidents known for his progressive ideas and the desire to change society, addressing the existing distrust and helplessness. The decision to promote progressive ideas was not spontaneous, and he saw the movement as the possibility to protect the real rule of humans (Roosevelt, 1912). The characteristics of a progressive are the intention to stand for social justice, achieve good for all people, and improve the environment in which individuals should grow and develop. Being a progressive means being optimistic about every initiative and participating in problem-solving processes. There is no need to hide behind or keep silent but to act and become passionate about changes and transformations.

Despite the desire to support progressive thoughts, there are also some examples of anti-progressives. Roosevelt (1912) called them the people with narrow vision and little sympathy. Anti-progressives are never stirred by the mistakes or failures made by other people (Roosevelt, 1912). Individuals who are consumed by their selfishness are not able to appeal to conscience. Everything they can do is to support oppression and use reforms that work for the leaders success, not the public one. The activities varied from employees exploitation to the promotion of capitalism that bounded society and imposed limitations on creativity and progress.

Roosevelt wanted to make people believe in his ideas and goals. Thus, he described progressivism as the movement that aimed at underling the real rules and freedoms of society. It was high time to deliver justice and equality by explaining the worth of power and development. Following his rules, multiple achievements can be revealed, including the ability to select leaders through open and free voting. Addressing the areas of politics, social welfare, and decision-making relevance, progressives can succeed as the movement and Roosevelt as the leader. As soon as people analyze their options, they can make policies and laws to improve different aspects of their life.

Reference

Roosevelt, T. (1912). Who Is a Progressive? Web.

Roosevelt’s inaugural address (in 1933) can be regarded as one of the most memorable moments of persuasion in the American history. F.D. Roosevelt had a difficult task. He had to solve loads of problems in the country which was enduring outcomes of the Great Depression.

The major aim of the President was to encourage people to take certain steps. The President asked for patience and discipline. His speech was aimed at evoking people’s faith, loyalty and determination. The President’s speech was successful as Roosevelt obtained the necessary support of the Americans.

Admittedly, 1933 was one of the hardest years in the history of the United States. The US economy was literally ruined. The rate of unemployment as well as inflation was very high. People were anxious and disoriented. They lost their faith and the government also lost its authority.

Of course, Roosevelt had a really difficult task. It is possible to state that the entire future of the country was at stake. Of course, the country would not cease to exist, but the USA which people know now could never exist.

Roosevelt understood that the country needed dramatic changes. He also understood that he could do nothing without the Americans’ support. The President knew that many steps were too hard to make, but they were to be made. Therefore, the President had to make people ready for the policies he was about to introduce.

Notably, Roosevelt managed to encourage people and give them hope. Roosevelt made a strong start saying that it was not the time to give promises as it was “the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly” (History Matters n.p.). Therefore, from the very start the President made people understand that he meant what he was saying. People understood that it was not a mere speech to listen to, but it was a particular report and a specific plan of action.

It is also important to emphasize that Roosevelt stressed that the country’s problems were purely financial. The President claimed that the problems concerned “thank God, only material things” (History Matters n.p.). F.D. Roosevelt made people understand that those problems could be solved and there was no time to feel at a loss. Roosevelt highlighted the major measures he wanted to implement.

Nonetheless, the most memorable parts of the speech are concerned with discipline and trust. The President stated

With this pledge taken, I assume unhesitatingly the leadership of this great army of our people dedicated to a disciplined attack upon our common problems. (History Matters n.p.)

Admittedly, such strong claims and such an inspirational speech made people follow their leader. Importantly, Roosevelt kept saying that it was him and the Americans who were responsible for the future of their country. The president kept saying that he along with the entire nation would work hard to solve the problems and bring the country to prosperity.

It is very important that the leader does not alienate himself from the nation. Roosevelt became the model for many people. Americans entrusted him their lives. From the very beginning of his presidency Roosevelt stated that he needed the Americans’ support.

Notably, He did not say he could do everything, or he did not say people should have worked hard. Roosevelt managed to create a great team which consisted of every citizen of the country. Admittedly, the inaugural speech played an important role in the creation of this team.

Works Cited

History Matters. “Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself”: FDR’s First Inaugural Address, 2012. Web.

The Monroe doctrine and its Roosevelt corollary were the principal foreign policy doctrines that would direct the U.S. behavior for the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Monroe doctrine was a policy in the U.S. introduced in the year 1823 by President James Monroe.

The main statement of the doctrine was that, any further attempts by the European nations to either colonize or interfere in any manner with the Northern or Southern American states would be perceived as an act of aggression, thus attracting the intervention of the U.S. into the matter (Ray 14).

However, this would not apply to those regions that were colonies at the time the doctrine was put forth, but only to the independent authorities in the Americas. According to the doctrine, it was not in the concern of the U.S. to interfere in any way with the already existing European colonies on the Northern and Southern American states. As it would be observed, the main objective of this doctrine was to bar the European powers from taking any further control of the independent Latin American states.

All Latin American colonies of Portugal and Spain had acquired freedom from the Spanish empire, by the time President Monroe first stated the doctrine on December 2, 1823. By doing so, Monroe collaborated with the Britain in an agreement that would ensure that the objectives of the doctrine were successfully achieved. As he stated the doctrine, the president had observed that America would not be in a position to take any effective measures against a full-scale solely, but with the backing of Britain.

The introduction of the doctrine would become a defining moment in America’s foreign policy and a long standing tenet that was invoked by many future American presidents and statesmen such as Theodore, Kennedy, and Reagan among others. However, the impact of the doctrine would persist for nearly two decades, with only minimal variations.

As the Spanish-American war broke out in 1898, some American icons would find an opportunity to establish the U.S. as the most superior Western country. With a rapid response, the Americans were able to neutralize Spain in Asia and the Caribbean. Following the ending of the war, America’s interest would finally be interwoven with the freedom of Latin America, through the unwavering efforts of President Theodore Roosevelt, who had perceived a point of view different from that of Monroe’s doctrine.

Roosevelt Corollary was added to the Monroe doctrine in the year 1904, after Roosevelt had become the 26^th president of the U.S. Roosevelt corollary had asserted the right of the U.S. government to intervene whenever it was necessary, in an attempt to stabilize the northern and southern states of the Latin America. In other words, the main observation of Roosevelt in his doctrine was that the intervention of the U.S. to secure the Latin America from further colonization by the European nations would always be justified.

Roosevelt corollary however was observed to intervene militarily to curb the growth of European influence in the Latin American regions. This would attract many critics from the people who argued that, the previous doctrine by Monroe had the holy mission of putting a permanent hold to the European influence on the Americans (Ricard 23).

It was also argued that Roosevelt corollary only succeeded in asserting the U.S. domination in those regions as it would be opposed by the Monroe doctrine, something that would make them appear as ‘hemispheric policemen.’

As it would be observed, none of these two doctrines offered a means by which the U.S. could engage in the imperial expansion that typified most great powers of the time. One of the main reasons here was that, America’s main interest in the two doctrines was couched in diplomatic language of saving the Latin American from the incessant exploitation of the European nations and not for its own interests.

More importantly, the other main agenda behind the two doctrines was to prevent the Europeans from making any further entry into the Latin American region and this way, they would be limiting their power in the region. It was also clear that the two doctrines were meant to be part of the American foreign policy in the region and for that reason, there was no way they could have utilized this opportunity to engage in matters of imperial expansion in the region.

Works Cited

Baldwin, David. “Security Studies and the end of the Cold War.” World Politics 48. 1 (1995): 117-141. Print.

Dudziak, Mary. Cold war civil rights: Race and the image of American democracy. New York: Princeton University Press, 2002. Print.

Ray, James Lee. American Foreign Policy and Political Ambition, 1^st Ed. New York: CQ Press. 2007. Print.

Ricard, Serge. “The Roosevelt Corollary.” Presidential Studies Quarterly 36. 1 (2006): 17-26.Print.

The speaker is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Roosevelt’s speech is a declaration of war. Roosevelt starts his speech from a question of fact – Japanese attempts at causing damage to USA – by saying that “one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American Island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message” (“Transcript of Joint Address to Congress” 3). Then the speech approaches the situation from a question of value as Roosevelt states that “we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us” (“Transcript of Joint Address to Congress” 10).

To persuade people that the threat is calamitous, Roosevelt appeals to ethos (ethics), pathos (emotions), and logos (logic and minds). Example of ethos in the speech: “Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace” (“Transcript of Joint Address to Congress” 4); pathos: “I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost” (“Transcript of Joint Address to Congress” 5); logos: “with confidence in our armed forces… we will gain the inevitable triumph- so help us God” (“Transcript of Joint Address to Congress” 12).

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is a technique of five steps that allows increasing motivation for a certain action. Roosevelt immediately implements the first step (getting public’s attention) by stating that the 7th December of 1941 “will live in infamy” (“Transcript of Joint Address to Congress” 2). He then states why there is a need to pay utmost attention to the problem by saying that “there is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger” (“Transcript of Joint Address to Congress” 11). Further comes the solution of establishing “a state of war… between the United States and the Japanese Empire” (“Transcript of Joint Address to Congress” 13), which also invokes the public to take action.

Roosevelt organizes his speech causally. He starts with stating that there were some attacks on the USA, then indicating that the responsive measures must follow. “The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan… as Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense” (“Transcript of Joint Address to Congress” 2).

The speech performed by Roosevelt is most convincing because of the speech’s structure and its ability to be ethically, emotionally, and logically appealing. The citations mentioned above adequately represent that.

Work Cited

“Transcript of Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Japan (1941).” Our Documents, Web.