What Makes a Good President: Franklin Delano Roosevelt
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) led the United States of America during times where an incredible leader was required to help overcome the challenges that the nation faced. However, although he was elected into tough times that seemed to be too much to bear for Americans and whatever leader they appointed, he was able to help the citizens of his nation push through. This is what makes a good president essay in which the answer is given based on example of a President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
His great leadership skills and connection to his people allowed him to navigate these times in near flawless manner. Thus illustrating perfectly the competitive elitist view that the dynastic wealth he was born into, his socioeconomic background, the Ivy League education that he received, and his previous experience as the Governor of New York helped him develop intrinsic skills and qualities that made him an ideal President. Essentially, President Roosevelts’ time in office proved that he was not only a good president as per competitive elitist view, it also made a strong case and argument for people that believe he was the greatest President that the nation has ever seen. By taking the nation out of economic calamity and helping guide the nation through a tough war, he proved competitive elitists right in their beliefs.
From a neutral and logical standpoint, FDR was a good president. Many leaders and people all over the world praise him for the actions he took during his time in office. They were empirically the right moves as they achieved their intended objectives of protecting and aiding Americans during tough and volatile times. Also, from a competitive elitists’ point of view, FDR was a good president. In fact, he was an excellent president according to thinkers that champion the ideas within this theory. One of such thinkers is Joseph Schumpeter. The perspective that Joseph Schumpeter offers on democracy is extremely interesting and sound. In fact, as you will see later on in this paper, FDR helped prove this theory to be sound. Essentially, Schumpeter is of elitist thought and proposes a belief that only the elites in society have the ability and know-how to govern correctly in a democratic system.
Schumpeter puts out a solid argument regarding why he accepts this, by taking a gander at the job of the citizen in the overall political structure and the manner in which a democracy ought to be run. Schumpeter accepts that the main reason for majority rules democratic systems in the public arena and society as a whole is to help in the process of beneficial and correct decision making. From numerous points of view, the hypothesis set out by Schumpeter in his model can be compared to that within the representative democracy model. This is on the grounds in the representative model, an individual is allowed to speak on behalf of many in a political system, in Schumpeter's model, the elite is the Representative. This is essentially because the elite has proven him/herself capable of making good decisions. The elite also has advantages via education and other resources that allows him/her to make the best decision for everyone. Which is ultimately the end goal of a democracy.
According to competitive elitist theory, individuals who are from the elite class structure in a society have a propensity to be more constructive to society, and thus, they deserve positions of power and authority. They have a natural inclination to be great leaders, decision makers, Governors and Presidents because they have natural qualities, tools, resources, education, high intellect, skills and experiences that put them at an advantage over the common man. So, according to a competitive elitist, a good President would’ve been one from the right background, and one that succeeded because he was from the right class in society.
FDR satisfied both requirements. Primarily, he was from a notable Dutch American family with a great deal of wealth on both sides of the family. He had the tools and resources to get a great formal education at all levels at Groton School, Harvard College and Columbia Law School. Finally, after practicing law in New York City, his time in the New York State Senate in 1910, as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1921, and as Governor of New York in 1928 helped him acquire the necessary experiences and knowledge he needed to make sound decisions while at the helm of the nation. Throughout his presidential career, he was able to prove competitive elitism to be an accurate model of predicting or judging good presidents. He made sound decisions that could only be credited to his education, experiences and access to resources. All things he acquired because he was part of the elite class.
Firstly, FDR proved his innate ability to govern and his experience during the Second World War. In World War II, Franklin Roosevelt protected America's safety in its entirety, the wellbeing of its citizens and the ideal democratic system the nation's citizens prided themselves on. In this, driving it through the most noticeably awful war throughout the entire existence of humanity. Having served in the First World War, FDR knew the complexities of the political situation and he was aware of the risks presented in participating in war. Subsequently, before the horrible Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt decided to deny American support. In what was praised as a politically savvy decision as it was to allow the Europeans the breathing room to settle their own issues, on their own.
However, when Japan endeavored to weaken and incapacitate the US naval force on December 7, 1941, Roosevelt could no longer observe the situation from afar and continue to let the fighting go on without American intervention. FDR proclaimed to his kindred Americans that the date of the attack “will live in infamy', and moved to join the war that was going on in Europe, doing everything to safeguard America's democratic political system and the freedom of Americans from power-hungry and opportunistic powers. As opposed to cowering after the stun of Pearl Harbor, FDR quickly found a way to prepare troops and draw in Japan and the Axis Powers to engage in total war.
As a wartime general, FDR had an air of certainty and confidence that made it seem obvious that he was unbeatable in the long run. His practical insights, boldness, excellent judgment and fortitude when confronting choices that could've led to the fall of the United States proved that he was suitable and constructive for American society at the time. Indeed, even as he confronted these massive decisions head-on, FDR stood with his feet firmly planted and never faltered. This decisiveness and definitiveness guaranteed that the United States could stand firm against its adversaries, showing no uncertainty, and no fear. He proved that he was the perfect president that the country desperately needed in such chaotic times.
Roosevelt was extremely calculated and rightfully aggressive in his wartime plans. He marked 75,000 tanks and 125,000 planes as the production target for military product factories for 1943. A move that seemed aggressive and excessive to some, but it subsequently proved to be just as economically sound as it was politically shrewd as the unemployment rate dropped to 2%. The overall economy gained as the industrial economy skyrocketed due to the increased demand for United States made weapons. The rise of production activity in the nation that was inherently due to war and FDRs ambitiousness brought numerous families out of systemic poverty and guaranteed the armies' capability in ensuring a high level of domestic peacefulness while a foreign war was ongoing. FDR had guaranteed that no internal national issue of serious societal magnitude, such as poverty, would make his country relinquish its freedom and sovereignty to the undemocratic Axis Powers.
While the citizens of the United States clamored to secure jobs and explore the new economic opportunities within the nation, FDR invested the vast majority of his energy into struggling with war methodologies, the preparation of troops, and the relationships of the countries within the Allied Forces. Alongside expanding wartime manufacturing output, Roosevelt additionally worked to ensure all political institutions were put in place to ensure America's success during the war. He had a room made in the White House designated to wartime conversation and strategy, marking it the 'Map Room'. Just six individuals, including the president, were able to access this room. The infrastructure FDR set up to manage the war ensured he had steady data with regards to the advancement and progression of the war. Simultaneously, FDR directed and took part in domestic and international visits intended to show support for the United States Defense and reinforce the overall United States' defense system he set up against the Axis forces of Germany, Japan, and Italy.
In 1942, and 1943, Roosevelt went all over the United States in an all-out effort to investigate, inspect and make crucial decisions on weapons plants and military personnel. He did this with the end goal of guaranteeing America's ownership of a sufficient defense system. He even stopped in Hawaii to see injured Japanese-American soldiers, in this showing to the citizens of the United States and ultimately the whole world that regardless of one's ethnicity or cultural background, they were all Americans at the end of the day. This spirit of solidarity and sense of a united front within America was important if the nation was to defeat the powerful forces it was going up against. It helped bring Americans together and it potentially created doubt within Axis Powers because it showed that they were going up against a united American front. Moreover, it helped ease Allied partners because it signaled that America can form and stick to strong alliances, regardless of differences like race or ethnicity.
While abroad, FDR spent 120 days in Cairo, Casablanca, Argentina, Tehran, and Quebec in attempts to maintain healthy relations between the Allies and to guarantee the Allied Forces triumphed over their adversaries. FDR kept up one of the most unpredictable, yet instrumental unions in history as he dissected a plethora of wartime problems and issues with both Churchill and Stalin. In these discussions, Roosevelt ensured that the Allies never floundered and that an Allied defeat at the face of opposing Axis powers could never occur. Along these lines, Roosevelt safeguarded the freedom, opportunity, and sovereignty of America by leading the country and its allies in the most calamitous of wars, World War II.
On another hand, FDR displayed a high ability to lead through carrying America through tough economic times. FDR helped sustain America as he executed the New Deal, helping Americans hold on to some hope during tough times and supporting the growth of a struggling US economy. After enduring the devastating Stock Market crash of 1929 and long periods of the Great Depression, citizens of the United States needed immediate economic relief and plans for economic recovery. As FDR took office in 1933, he inherited a wrecked nation that was in dire need of structural repairs to various institutions and serious reformatory changes. Accordingly, the New Deal was conceived. Inside his first 100 days at the helm of the United States government, FDR put into action various plans and projects that were intended to much needed relief to the “forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid” in addition to “all classes and groups and sections of [America]”.
Primarily, Roosevelt ordered changes that instantaneously halted the banking crisis. He also went on to cut down federal administrative expenses and pensions to diminish the financial weight the government and legislature put on its residents. Furthermore, with the Beer-Wine Revenue Act, he legitimized the selling of alcoholic drinks, opening up another industry for entrepreneurial American citizens to explore. Moreover, through the Civilian Conservation Act, 3 million individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 were given jobs. In attempts to offer states much needed relief, he gave them $500 million. Alongside this, FDR additionally helped farmers by subsidizing them when their harvests and production diminished.
However, the best of the economic arrangements that FDR utilized came in form of the Tennessee Valley Act. By launching this act and initiative, the United States government helped improve the lives of those living in a sizable part and region of the United States; and one that was greatly affected by the Great Depression. By creating an entity aimed at producing and selling power through dams and hydroelectric power plants, jobs in engineering, construction and development, and maintenance were created for a multitude of Americans. It also helped produce cheap energy that fueled growth in other industries. When we look all of the separate pieces that form the New Deal, we see a politically savvy leader in FDR. One that was able to transcend wartime excellence and create change that permeates American society in another way. Proving that he deserved a legacy as a politician that excelled in other political arenas aside from war.
Alongside this, FDR actualized numerous plans intended to give citizens new job opportunities to explore and put money in numerous Americans' pocket. All the while simultaneously helping the nation grow and develop economically. For example, with the Civil Works Administration, Roosevelt gave governors and mayors access to the capital they needed to begin public infrastructural projects, like road and dam construction, in order to spur economic growth and development across the nation. These associations, organizations and acts were created to assist Americans with bearing and defeating the economic challenges the Great Depression brought. They gave a lot of Americans much needed food, money and jobs. They allowed mothers and fathers to provide for their families. They spared America world-wide embarrassment and potential ruin. With the New Deal, FDR figured out how to support and safeguard America against the Great Depression and against the paralyzing fear of a potential crumbling of the American economy in its entirety.
In the end, we see that FDR's political activities and deeds have been heard and praised as the twentieth and twenty-first century progressed for good reason. His deeds and calculated actions have changed America in a permanent way, and they have propelled another age of political pioneers and leaders. Without him, America would not have been able to handle the numerous political enemies and economic trials that it confronted. Roosevelt showed over and over again that he had a place among the best men that ever governed the United States of America, and he showed that he had earned this notoriety. Franklin Delano Roosevelt helped change and reshape America through demonstrating to Americans that they can survive any test in life, regardless of its magnitude and size. By pushing through several political barriers, he was able to show his high aptitude as a leader and president. Intrinsically, through guiding America through and past the most crushing war ever, World War II, and by executing the New Deal that helped Americans power past the Great Depression, he shows his political and economic prowess. Proving the competitive elitist view that his privileged upbringing, advantaged background, education and political experience made him not just a suitable president, but a good one.
