Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Presidential Era Essay

Roosevelt was the 32^nd president of the United States of America. Polenberg asserts that “This most enigmatic of men become the most influential American political leader of the twentieth century.” (2).He is one of the most reputable and respected president in the history of America. He rose to power in breaking the record by ruling for more than to terms. Apart from Roosevelt, there is no any other American president that has ever been elected for more than two terms.

During his era as the president of America, the country had been hit by an economic meltdown that caused the entire country to crumple financially. He was fundamental in the creation of the American liberalism. Polenberg was also careful to note that Roosevelt “changed forever the way politicians use mass media to present their massages and themselves to the electorate” (2).

Before he was elected president, he had made some promises to the electorate if they voted him for him in his bid for the prudency. Throughout his presidency, Roosevelt kept each of his promises to the people and that made him a very popular president among all the citizens from all walks of life. According to Polenberg, “March-June, first hundred days, witnesses the creation of the National Recovery Administration, Agricultural Adjustment Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority and Civilian Conservation Corps” (229).

September of the same year he was elected president, he had a rotating retirement-fund plan operational to satisfy for the aging population. As Polenberg writes in his book, “FDR maintained that the time had come to replace competition with cooperation.” (5). The Greatest achievement of Roosevelt was the Law of Spending meant to combat the ‘Roosevelt recession’ (Polenberg 39). All through his presidency, he was very specific with policies that were created and designed to fight the looming economic meltdown.

The business communities and stakeholders had begun to fight against his policies and argued that his policies where not helping in the recovery of the economy. He was not ready to give up to the pressure and instead he pushed and continued formulating more policies to save the economy. One of them includes the social security program as well as the emphasis by his administration on taxation.

Roosevelt imposed heavier taxes on the affluent and wealthy citizens while relieving the middle and low income earners. He was also responsible for the formulation of regulatory policies for industries such as the banking and the public utilities (Polenberg 39). Polenberg claims that Roosevelt justified these policies by arguing that “the role of government was to protect the general welfare to guard against the disastrous social consequences” (5). According to Polenberg, Roosevelt felt that it would be disastrous “if individuals are allowed to do as they please with the natural resources to line their own pockets during their life time” (5).

It was under his tenure as the president of the United States that the work relief program developed (Polenberg 39). This program was designed to relieve the unemployed from the adverse impacts of the economic meltdown. Roosevelt influences the recovery of the American economy in so many ways. The war created demand for goods and services and also the movement of people as they joined the military helped in the formation of war centres which were great hubs for business.

Roosevelt economic plans become very successful especially with the fact that the economy of the United States of America was stabilized through his policies. As he ran for the office of president, he was well aware of the challenges ahead of him and clearly he had planned a counter attack on the recession that is greatly blamed on his predecessors. Roosevelt was involved in reviving the economy and the recover started immediately he was sworn in as the president of the United States. Roosevelt seemed to have had an already blueprint on how he would handle the economic challenges that his country was facing long before he even became the president and the electorate were looking for a leader who will put their interests first.

Works Cited

Polenberg, Richard. The Era of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933-1945: A Brief History with Documents (Bedford Series in History & Culture), New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. Print.