Title: Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt: Leaders Who Built a Superpower and the Modern American
1Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt
Leaders Who Built a Superpower and theModern
American PresidencyAlexander ZachosFall
2006Political Science Capstone
2Men of Action
- American Presidency can often be a frustrating
office - Rigid institutions partisan fights, re-election.
- Many presidents do not make an impact
- TR and FDR left a long-lasting legacies on the
presidency and the country. - Each president came into office during very
crucial periods of social upheaval and political
change. - Both had upper-class origins, confidence, and
natural leadership ability combined with
Progressive Roots. - They can be politically analyzed, compared, and
contrasted in several different traditional
political arenas. - Their most important similarity
- They did not allow their decisions to be governed
by fear of change.
3Thesis
- TR and FDR were both presidents for whom actions
spoke louder than words. They both came to
office during times of great political change and
crisis. They acted within the Progressive theme
of the early 20th century but furthermore, it was
their bold action during these times that
eventually led to the creation of the modern
American presidency and an American superpower. - In accomplishing these endeavors both presidents
created and strengthened the presidential roles
of chief of party, chief legislator, chief
policy maker, chief administrator, commander-in
chief, and chief diplomat.
4Theodore Roosevelt
5TR Childhood
- Upper-class parents both sides
- Not an ordinary child for 2 reasons one social
and one intellectual - Wealthy
- Gifted mind and memory
- Childhood dark side sickness
- Severe Asthma, near-sighted, and a nervous
digestive system. - Overcoming of sickness creates his sense of
heroism - Considers himself a self-created character
- Metamorphosis from thin sickly boy to model for
masculinity. - Commitment to politics and most important views
emerged from his youthful struggles. - Obsession with physical prowess showed main
insecurity, his youthfulness. - For Theodore Roosevelt even more than for most
people, the child was the father of the man.
6Early Political Career
- First position was nominated for a Republican
seat in the New York Assembly 1882 - Police Commissioner of New York 1880s-1890s
- Assistant Secretary to the Navy 1890s
- Governor of New York 1898
- Vice-President of United States 1900
- Other careers
- Historian (War of 1812) (Winning of the West)
- Dakota Rancher and Cattleman
- Colonel of the Rough Riders Answered his prayers
and brought him the fame necessary to win the
Vice-Presidency.
7Analysis of TRs Political Views
- New Imperialism fight for colonies is now based
on industrial rivalries and economic
interdependence. - Militarism affected by fathers failure
- Rejection of Materialism and calling upon the
people to aspire for a higher purpose (paradox
wealth) - American Expansion and Necessary involvement in
world affairs. - Anglo-superiority
- Expanded federal government to control big
business - Progressivism Idea that society should make
social progress and that peoples lives could be
improved sometimes at the expense of businessmen. - Conservation of natural resources
- Trust-busting
- Cultural Advancement
8First Presidency (1901-1904)
- President McKinley assassinated September 1901.
- TR spends majority of presidency battling for
control of his party from factionalized party
bosses. - Thus, actual policy achievement was limited
during his first term with some exceptions. - He campaigned for re-election in 1904, in control
of his party, promising America a Square Deal.
9Second Presidency (1904-1908)
- 1904 re-election, he asserted his proven
political power with a rejuvenation of activity
and the high point of his presidency. - Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
- Manipulated Congress using three tactics
- Great speeches to counter railway propaganda
- Gained support of Capitol Hill by bargaining with
the Old Guard Republicans - Played back and forth with the Senate among
Progressives, moderates, and Democrats in order
to achieve policy goals - He achieved greater success in domestic and
foreign policy between 1904 and 1907, but was
stymied by his party, congress, and the courts
during the last two years of his presidency.
10TR leaves important legacy and affects FDR
- His greatest legacy did not come from his policy
successes. - He was a strong, influential, and bold leader.
- Experienced and confident politician who brought
new dynamics to the presidency - Instead he pursued social advancement and deeper
national loyalty. - He fought class divisions and appealed to
minority ethnic and social classes. - He used the whole government of the United
States to mitigate harsh social and economic
conditions of his time. - The most important task of a political leader is
to educate the public and create a demand for
change. - His legacy left an important imprint on the
later Roosevelt President Franklin D. Roosevelt. - Young FDR mimicked his kinsmans path Assembly,
Ass. Secretary of the Navy, Governor of NY, then
presidency - FDR had talent, wealth, and the experiences of
his fifth cousin (Uncle Teddy)
11Atmosphere prior to FDRs election in 1932
- 1929 Stock Market Crash causes the Great
Depression - Besides the Civil War, it is considered to be the
worst crisis in American History. - Who is to blame? Obviously the big-businessmen.
- The Great Depression turns focus of America
homeward - Apathy towards world affairs, despite Wilsons
warnings - Isolationism characterizes American sentiments
from 1929-1938 - FDR was Governor of NY and promises not to forget
the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic
pyramid - The Nation is in need of bold action, expanded
government for relief, and a leader to offer
inspiration and strength - FDR rejects all systems and dedicates himself to
providing hope and relief for the American
working man and American morale.
12The Great Depression
13Analysis of FDRs Political Views
- He had a keen ability to reject rigid political
systems whenever necessary. - His technique for liberal government was
pragmatism. - He respected clear ideas, accepted them, and used
them but was always skeptical about their
relationship to reality. - The battle between New Nationalism versus New
Freedom divided American Liberalism - FDRs New Deal had elements of both
- Schlesinger quoted, He had no philosophy save
experiment, which was a technique
constitutionalism, which was a procedure and
humanity, which was a faith. - People began to believe in the free, welfare
state, with economic stability, and social
justice.
14Franklin D. Roosevelt
15First Phase of FDRs Presidencies
- FDRs four presidencies can be divided into two
major phases of different emphasis one domestic
and one foreign - His first phase from 1932 to around 1937 was
characterized by a desperate need for action on
the domestic front - First New Deal and First Hundred Days
- Characterized by a high rate of activity,
although courts struck down most of the
legislation, the social effects of the New Deal
are immeasurable. - Later New Deal
- Social Security Act of 1935
- FDR versus the Courts and Congress
- Conservative strict-constructionist Supreme Court
largely undid most of the New Deals policy - Republican resurgence in Congress in the 1938
elections, primarily blocked his reform attempts
and this brought an end to his New Deal and the
First Phase of his Presidency. - Foreign Policy
- Isolation is the word
16Second Phase of FDRs Presidencies
- Rise of Fascism in Europe Hitler and Mussolini
rise up to power in Germany and Italy during a
time of American Isolation. - By 1938, Hitler had taken over most of Europe
without firing a shot. - FDR.
- Shift away from isolationism between 1938 and
1941 is gradual. - Panay crisis
- Increased armaments
- Britain put on the defensive, new emphasis on
Americas role - Revision of the Neutrality act.
- It was indeed Pearl Harbor that completely blew
Americans out of complacency, on December 7,
1941. - Sharp criticism for the architect of victory,
along with high compliment
17FDRs Domestic and Foreign Legacies
- Unlike Theodore Roosevelt, FDR has many pivotal
policy legacies that are worth noting - Domestic
- Pluralism- intellectual idea emerged in 1920s to
influence approaches to organization and problem
solving. It favored widespread decision-making
and constant improvisation. He wanted a flexible
and democratic federal branch, best fitted to
solve social problems - Foreign
- Principally influenced by Pearl Harbor, which
destroyed isolationist contentions about American
invulnerability to attack, and by the countrys
emergence as the worlds foremost Power, the
nation ended the war ready to shoulder
substantial responsibilities in foreign
affairs.-Robert Dallek - Evident by bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- FDR tried to show the world, by action, that the
United States would be the hegemonic leader in a
New World Order.
18Analysis of TR and FDR as Chief of Party
- TR was a progressive Republican who had to
wrestle control of his party from Old-Guard
Republican bosses like Mark Hanna of Ohio. - He never really united the party, but he achieved
some of his goals through manipulation of Old
Guard Congressmen. - After he announced that he would not run for a
third term in 1908, his party treated him as a
lame duck and his relations with them soared to
the point of open hostility. - FDR, on the other hand, united his party and
created a new Democratic constituency made up of
Northern industrial workers, ethnic minorities,
and the farm bloc. - Cooper says, The international crisis at the
end of the 1930s, which renewed his lease on the
Theodore Rooseveltian role of transcendent
national leader, was what furnished (FDRs)
opportunity to fulfill the Wilsonian role of
party leader.
19Analysis as Progressives
- It is clear that FDR was affected by TR and
Wilsons Progressivism. - TRs social and economic Progressivism was
characterized by moral advancement of society. - Pure Food and Drug Act (Upton Sinclair The Jungle
) - FDRs New Dealers were not concerned with the
moral advancement of society, but rather economic
progress. - Both presidents came into office during times
that necessitated change. - The movement following the Industrial Revolution
was named the Progressive Movement - Government regulation of big-business
- Labor reforms and consumer protection
- FDRs Progressivism was classified by the need
for - Workers economic relief
- Governments control of economics
20Opposition TR versus Congress and Party
- TR and Congress were destined to be opposed
- He came into office when decades of legislative
supremacy were ending. - The decline in legislative strength did not
please elders on Capitol Hill. - They would have resisted the increase of
presidential power under any president. - He played delicate games of cat and mouse to
achieve his goals. - TR usually won the battle for public opinion
versus Congress however, this was achieved at
some cost to his legislative record later on. - TR was always fighting and manipulating the
Conservative Republicans for control of his own
party, and it was they who blocked most of his
important objectives.
21OppositionFDR versus the Supreme Court
- Conservative Supreme Court strikes down the NIRA,
the AAA, and the repudiation of the gold clause. - FDR decides to retaliate in 1936 by packing the
court - He claimed the overworked and overage judges were
a detriment and proposed to be able to appoint as
many as six new judges. - This measure failed and lost him support in his
party and Congress. - While they were able to defeat the large part of
his New Deal, FDR was responsible for the famous
switch in time that saved nine. - FDR was able to nearly replace every justice on
the Supreme Court during his four terms. - He drastically affected the future of the Supreme
Court.
22FDR and TR with the Media
- TRs popularity came from his love affair with
the media and the American people. - First presidential career to be conducted within
the era of the modern journalistic press - Rough Rider publicity
- TR used the journalistic media to strengthen his
office, and began to build a power base apart
from party organizations - FDR used the press to achieve his goals
- He learned reporters names, read their stories,
and created news for them - FDR and the Press Conference
- Held weekly press conferences that allowed him to
speak for himself and somewhat control public
opinion - FDR press policy fit the democratic ideal of an
informed public.
23Policy AnalysisTheodore Roosevelt
- TR Domestic Policy
- 1902, Northern Securities prosecution- sought
strict federal regulation over private business. - Bureau of Corporations- Provided needed
information about structure, operations, and work
conditions in Americas corporations. - Bureau of Labor- Provided similar information
about Labor and its organization. - TR Foreign Policy
- Venezuela Crisis 1902- Acts boldly but uses great
diplomacy in dealing with Wilhelm II - Creation of the Panama Canal- very important for
trade routes - Arbitration of the Russo-Japanese War-Wins the
Nobel Peace Prize - Jamaica Incident of 1907 and Anglo-American
Relations- Upholds the honor of America, while
realizing that Anglo-American relations would be
important in the near future. - Role as Chief Diplomat- perhaps the first
president to truly represent this role. - Failures Stemmed from Several Sources
- Boasted he had dissolved a Plutocracy
- Spoke against materialism Swimming against the
strongest tide in American Politics - Announcement in 1904, that he would not run again
in 1908 - Even if he intended not to run, he could have
delayed the announcement to achieve the illusion
of future power.
24FDR Domestic Policy Analysis
- FDR Domestic Policy
- First New Deal and First Hundred Days
- Banking Reform- Holiday is a term that comforts
everyone Banking Holiday - AAA and Wallaces Farm bill- aimed to deal with
depressed prices and great surpluses. - NIRA- Industrial recovery is key. Put people
back to work. - Hugh Johnson negotiates codes with major
industries. - It was to raise purchasing power of labor and
elevate labor standards. - Sources of trouble were shortage of working
capital and demand. - Important legacy is social and psychological
rather than economic or political. - Social Security Act 1935- withstood court
purging. - Failures Complex explanations
- Court Packing incident
- Last Republican Redoubt- 1938
- Too much control of NIRA codes was given to
private business rather than the government.
25FDR Foreign Policy Analysis
- Isolation due to American paradigm in 1930s
- FDR Foreign Policy
- Panay Incident- FDR and nation are upset, war is
averted due to Japans willingness to apologize. - WWII- architect of victory for the Allied
Nations - Yalta- toward the end of his life, slightly
criticized for giving too much concession to
Stalin - Hiroshima and Nagasaki- Truman carries out FDRs
initiative to avoid a conditional surrender of
Japan, and to show the world that America will be
the new superpower. - FDR role as Chief Diplomat He exemplified this
traditional conception. - Criticisms Neutrality during the 1930s,
misjudgment in - Nazi victories 1938-1941
- Caution toward the genocide of European Jews
- American Wartime containment of
Japanese-Americans
26Trust Busting versus NIRA
- TR and FDR differed in their approach and
intentions toward big-business. - While both personally despised big business men,
each had a different approach for dealing with
them - TR prosecutes Northern Securities and many other
trusts - His goal is government regulation and consumer
protection at the expense of large private
businessmen. - FDR, in the wake of the Depression, seeks to
revive big business - NIRA
- He believes that involving private business in
the grand economic scheme is a major objective to
restore the economy. - TR perhaps sought to regulate too much private
business however, FDRs Hugh Johnson did not put
enough regulation on NIRA codes and this was a
primary cause of their failure.
27Imperialism versus Isolationism
- The mood toward foreign affairs was much
different in TRs America than it was in FDRs
America. - TR in the wake of the Spanish American War
- Writings of historians affected the mood of
people who begin to believe in American
imperialism and a future superpower - Frederick Jackson Turner (frontier)
- Henry Adams and Brooks Adams( Anglo-superiority)
- FDR in the wake of WWI, the corrupt 1920s, and
the Stock Market Crash. - National mood is centered on domestic recovery of
the economy - Americans sit idly and watch fascism spread over
Europe - Until around 1938-1939, Americans and Congress
will hear nothing of international involvement. - Hitler takes Europe without firing a shot
- Many see his demands as justified (Unified German
nation and living space - FDR knows better, but is handcuffed by Congress
and the public opinion
28Unhealthy Adult versus Unhealthy Child
- Each mans character was strengthened by
overcoming of physical disability. - TRs frail, sickly youth led him to seek heroism
in every encounter - FDR paradoxically, was struck down by polio at
the age of 39 and paralyzed. - Strength of character led to a certain arrogance
and yearn for power. - TR became the model for masculinity with his
bully pulpit and big stick diplomacy - FDR led the nation through the Great Depression
and World War II while being paralyzed from the
waist down. - Having become strong men, it was natural for both
to become strong presidents and create a strong
nation.
29Creation of the Modern Presidency
- Long history of Leadership Theory
- Plato
- Machiavelli
- Modern American Presidential Theory is made up of
several components - Imperial Presidency (Arthur Schlesinger)
- Especially in the twentieth century, the
circumstances of an increasingly perilous world
as well as of an increasingly interdependent
economy and society seemed to compel a larger
concentration of authority in the presidency. - Rhetorical Presidency (Jeffrey Tulis)
- Tulis believes that beginning with Theodore
Roosevelt, the use of rhetoric has formed a
crucial tool for modern presidents. - Post-Modern Presidency (Richard Rose)
- The modern presidency was created by TR and FDR
as an active president. However, the
post-modern president is an active president who
can no longer dominate the international system.
Other nations can now affect the White House.
30TR and the Modern Presidency
- Right Place and Right Time
- Period of Congressional Supremacy ending.
- The worldwide rise of New Imperialism led to a
need for a powerful leader, capable of responding
to a increasingly perilous world. - Presidential pre-occupation with foreign affairs
(George W. Bush), during times of international
instability. - Domestically, TR expanded the Federal Branch and
created legislation to organize the new
institution. - Bully pulpit- used the presidency to achieve
his agenda and ensured that he expanded the
presidency so that it was capable for other
presidents to do the same. - Demanded that the president be responsible to the
people, in the tradition of Andrew Jackson and
Abraham Lincoln.
31FDR and the Modern Presidency
- Founder of the Modern American Presidency
- Wilsonian Model of party leader, and united the
Democratic Party. - New coalition of people who had been
traditionally ignored. - Introduced Pluralism in government.
- Demanding times called for pragmatism and not
rigidity. - Leadership became facilitative rather than
directive. - Press Conference and Fireside chats
- People felt as if they knew him personally.
- Followed TR as transcendent national leader
- Increased the Executive branch more than any
other president - President should use the Federal government to
directly help peoples lives. - President as the wartime leader.
32Roosevelt Presidents Created An American
Superpower
- During TRs presidency, a young industrial
American nation flexed its muscles around the
world. - TR and FDR contrasted many of the traditional
roles of the modern president, but shared one
theme in common - Expansive use of office and liberal use of power
- U.S. emerges from WWII as the greatest superpower
in the world. - Both national leaders sought to create a balance
of power among the leading nations of the world. - Both presidents created the modern idea that the
United States had to play a pivotal role in
world affairs. - Theodore Roosevelts presidency strengthened the
office and the nation, and it was this that
enabled Franklin D. Roosevelt to convert an
economic and industrial superpower into a
political and military one also.-Al
33Conclusion
- Fortune favors the bold.- Virgil
- It is not the critic who counts . . .the credit
belongs to the man who is actually in the arena .
. .who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph
of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he
fails, atleast he fails while daring greatly so
that his place shall never be with those cold and
timid souls who know neither victory nor
defeat.- Theodore Roosevelt - . . .the only thing we have to fear, is fear
itself.- Franklin Delano Roosevelt. - TR and FDR were men who did not fear change, and
a leader who expanded the political power of the
presidency, and the international bargaining
power of the United States. - They did so operating within many similar themes,
but contrasted their use of the traditional roles
of the president. Though certain of their
methods and roles may be different, their goals
were similar - Achieve personal political power
- Expand the role of the Presidency and Federal
Government - Create an International superpower.
34THE END