Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Leader of the Free World

“Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Leader of the Free World”

Few presidents live up to the name “Leader of the Free World.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt embodied that title, both in action and in beliefs. Roosevelt’s work to fix the economy, provide employment to young men, and his involvement in World War II has shaped the United States into what it is today.

The 1920s, called the “Roaring Twenties,” was a time of prolonged economic prosperity. That all ended in 1929, with the Stock Market Crash. This crash effectively ended the prosperity we experienced, and began a decade of high unemployment, poverty, deflation, and plunging incomes across the board. These circumstances led the American people to become distrustful and generally disillusioned towards the US Government. These negative feelings became focused on the most visible government official, who at the time was the 31st president, Herbert Hoover. While he had no direct role in the Great Depression, Hoover’s policies of increasing taxes and increasing spending was seen as extravagant at the time, and was widely ridiculed for being reckless. By increasing taxes in a time of economic troubles, Hoover made it near impossible for the poor to climb out of poverty. With Congress passing budgets that sought to increase taxes across the board and deregulate business, economic recovery was slowed to a near standstill. All the while, Hoover tried to enact multiple emergency relief acts, but it was too little too late. President Hoover was viewed as a weak president, and the American people were tired of weak politicians. In the words of his 1932 presidential election opponent, “There is nothing in the man but jelly!”, and, “[He is] a fat, timid capon” (Gibbs 111). This opponent would go on...

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...e factual evidence everywhere else, and most of the information I used was either common knowledge or material I’ve learned from studying my favorite president.

I believe Roosevelt truly embodied the American spirit, and his shrewd politics, his policy of promoting intellectual cabinet members, and his work to recover the economy has shaped the United States in innumerable ways. I truly believe Roosevelt was the definition of “president” and “leader of the free world.”

Works Cited

Ermentrout, Robert Allen. Forgotten Men: The Civilian Conservation Corps. Smithtown, NY: Exposition, 1982. Print.

Fried, Albert. FDR and His Enemies. New York: St. Martin's, 1999. Print.

Gibbs, Nancy. "When New President Meets Old, It's Not Always Pretty." Time. Time Inc., 10 Nov. 2008. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.

Public Opinion, 1935–1946 ed. by Hadley Cantril and Mildred Strunk 1951. p. 111