Roosevelt's Arsenal of Democracy Analysis

Since the founding of the United States of America, many presidents have worked tirelessly in their posts to change our country for the better. Some have seen abounding success, while others have met a slow decline from glory.  Of all of these generally noble and brave men, one especially has stood out; Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a remarkable idealist of a man and an amazing vehicle for change in America. While in office, this dignified man demonstrated many positive qualities, such as unrelenting optimism, heartfelt concern for both the populace and the land of America, and fierce determination to accomplish his goals.

In the first two decades of the twentieth century the national political scene reflected a growing American belief in the ideas of the Progressive movement. This movement was concerned with fundamental social and economic reforms and gained in popularity under two presidents. Yet Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson espoused two different approaches to progressive reform. And each one was able to prevail upon congress to pass legislation in keeping with his own version of the progressive dream. These two people, although they had different principles in mind, had one goal: to make changes to the nation for the better of the people and the country. Setting out to reach this goal, Roosevelt came to be a president of the common man while

In his article “Why FDR was America’s Worst President,” Andrew Doris explains why Franklin Roosevelt was America’s worst president and why America would be better off today if he were to have never been elected. According to Doris, Roosevelt not only failed in ending the Great Depression, but when he introduced his New Deal policies, he also introduced the idea that the president could overstep the boundaries set for him in the constitution. During his presidency, Roosevelt failed to “faithfully execute the rulings of the other branches” and “respect the system of checks and balances” (Doris). Doris proves these statements throughout his article. He states that when Roosevelt came into office, he was hungry for more power than the constitution

The first inaugural address of Franklin D. Roosevelt was one that strove to lift the American people off their feet as the country entered some of it's worst years during the Great Depression. One of Roosevelt's strong advantages during his address was his ability to relate to the very real concerns of the everyday American citizens. With pressures of the failing economy facing the President-elect, he delivered this speech, addressing the nation about his plans for a New Deal. Roosevelt made his first point in his address by stating, “...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” This statement later became one of the most famous Presidential lines in all of history. The purpose of this statement was to remind the nation that for this

It is those emotions and feelings of pride and patriotism towards their country that President Roosevelt plays upon within the American public the most. FDR uses many tactics within his speech to make sure that feelings of patriotism and pride are created within the American public. As one of the tactics that the President uses to instill feelings of patriotism and pride is by boosting their pride by saying things that make them feel good about their country and themselves. Throughout the whole speech the president consistently throws in quotes like, “We have the men. The skill, they wealth, and above all, the will,”(440) and “I call upon our people with absolute confidence that our common cause will greatly succeed,”(441) to boost American morale. FDR uses quotes like this throughout his whole speech to make them feel proud to be Americans and make them feel like they could take on anyone in the world and win. Another one of those tactics that FDR uses throughout his speech that helped create those feelings was by taking certain quotes from the axis powers that were derogatory toward the US and turning them around for his benefit. The statement located in the fifth paragraph states that, “…I can

Franklin Roosevelt became one of the most successful presidents in U.S. history due to the three character traits of optimism, perseverance, and leadership. Roosevelt's optimistic attitude gave Americans hope to keep fighting through the Great Depression and World War Two, were most Americans were ready to give up. Jean Smith presents this idea when he quotes Roosevelt in his Presidential Biography FDR writing, “This great Nation will endure as it has endured will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that only thing to fear is fear itself… The effect of the speech was electrifying, the praise all but unanimous. No one doubted that a new era had begun” (Smith 302-303). Franklin Roosevelt lit the fire back

President Roosevelt realized that Britain needed aid or else the U.S. would become a lone “free” nation in a fascist-dominated world. The American military needed to be mobilized in order to assist the Allies or democracy would be in grave danger. Roosevelt plead his case to the American people in his famous “Quarantine Speech” in which he called for an end to dangerous isolationism; however, his speech was not well-received and he was criticized for his desire to “entangle” the U.S in European foreign affairs (Document D). With Britain the only remaining power fighting against Germany, Roosevelt felt compelled to offer aid in some way. In 1940, Roosevelt boldly transferred fifty World War I destroyers to Britain in exchange for eight valuable defense bases stretching from Newfoundland to South America. As bombs dropped over Britain, Americans began to realize that their interests were intricately tied to Britain’s and that they must offer aid or else the battle would come to American soil soon. The goals of American foreign policy were reversed when Congress repealed the now defunct Neutrality Acts and officially ended their Neutrality. The U.S. began openly selling weapons to Britain on a “cash-and-carry” basis so as to avoid attacks on American ships. When this was not enough, Roosevelt devised the

Theodore Roosevelt is considered by many to be America’s first progressive president due to his conservationism, his military prowess, and the natural ease with which he handled national and worldwide politics. He had a vision for the place he wanted America to be, a courage that made him admirable, and a jovial attitude that made people love him. Not only did he take steps to make the office of president more important than it once was, he tried to do so in ways that were important. One of these ways was by protecting the natural beauty of America so that it would not be entirely depleted before it could replenish itself. Another way was by proving his leadership, his bravery, and his dedication to complete the task at hand in the military. His struggle for equality in his nation and international peace also show his determination to make the world better. These points prove that Theodore Roosevelt had his eyes set on the future and was determined to move toward it.

As not only President but Commander in Chief, Roosevelt had an obvious ethical appeal to the general public, and his advice concerning war involvement and interpretation of this event will forever depict most American’s view of the attack. Seeing as ethics aren’t in question here, it was not necessary for Roosevelt to spend much time proving himself trustworthy. However, he does show strength and courage in the midst of in a time of fear and dismay. He also plays on the values of Americans by

In Franklin Roosevelt’s message to the Congress, he brought up many ideas to fix the issues going on in the world. He founded the four human freedoms. The first is “of speech and expression for everywhere in the world. Second is freedom of every person to worship god in his own way. Next is Freedom from want. It will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for

In his acceptance speech to the Democratic National Convention on June 27, 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt mentioned many challenges and concerns facing the United States during that time period. In his speech the President used short-hand phrases, brief references, and pejorative naming to make his larger, political and ideological points. FDR used terms like ‘economic royalists’, along with phrases like ‘new despotism wrapped in the robes of legal sanctions’, to identify the large corporations, investors and employers, who according to him are trying to influence policies and control the government for their own personal benefits. The President also uses phrases like ‘Necessitous men are not free men’, to reiterate his concerns and to point out how the working people of America are being deprived from their rights by these very same privileged employers. FDR compares 1936 to 1776, referring to the American Revolution and its significance in putting the power back in the hands of the average Americans, and how it is necessary to check the power of the corporations in order to protect the interests of the American people and restore the power back in the hands of the people.

Franklin D. Roosevelt became President of the United States during a time where there was great turmoil amongst the economy and organization of the country. America was just barely recovering from the Great Depression, and they finally had a trustable and strong leader, Franklin D. Roosevelt, to guide them. FDR took on a major role in the progression of America as a country, and that is due to his powerful leadership and speaking skills. Considering the excerpt was recorded through audio of a radio speech, FDR was not able to take advantages of writing strategies that can enhance his points and tones; he still manages to express his thoughts and ideas for the country in a very concise and well-spoken speech. Even though his speech was through his own words, Franklin D. Roosevelt utilizes rhetorical devices in order to reassure the American citizens and establish that he is a hardworking

When World War II began, the United States was not initially apart of it. What sparked the beginning was Nazi Germany’s attack on Poland in September 1939. Even though we were not at the center of the action, our country did take steps to assist and protect weaker countries, like the United Kingdom. Roosevelt felt it was important to “be the great Arsenal Democracy…[he believed] we must apply ourselves to our task with the same resolution, the same sense of urgency, the same spirit of patriotism and sacrifice as we would show were we at war.” Because of this, the zeal and patriotism America showed was greatly increased. We took advantage of the power we had and the American Industry began to put forth collective efforts in supporting the Allies.

Roosevelt's pledge to his constituents as well as his political prowess and strong-willed demeanor placed hopes in the hearts of Americans. On the eve of his inauguration night alone, "Roosevelt told the nation that `the only thing we have to fear is fear itself and promised effective leadership in the crisis (Rosen)." Furthermore, throughout his four terms in office, FDR sensing that the American people needed guidance as well as comfort continued to aggressively lead the United States out of the Depression and later on persisted with his unique style of leadership as he was forced to take his constituents to war. During his time as president, Roosevelt's America was in a crisis and like most other nations throughout the world, in the same predicament; it thirsted for an exceptionally good leader with a superior moral compass and determination that was willing to take charge and point the way to a brighter future.

Americans have become used to politicians who will not go against their party’s line. Instead of having numerous free thinking elected officials who come together to ensure the welfare of society, we have two parties that control almost everything. This was not how Theodore Roosevelt led our country. He was a visionary and ethical leader. This paper explains why by describing Theodore Roosevelt’s use of visionary leadership to protect America’s natural resources by being an emotionally flexible leader and using his inspirational motivation. Theodore Roosevelt was an Ethical Leader because he put service before self by resigning from the position of Assistant Secretary of the Navy to fight in the Spanish American War and was a free thinker who went against his party to protect the welfare of society. Theodore Roosevelt has personal relevance in my development as a leader by modeling service before self and allowing me to see how I can improve my inspirational motivation. In order to understand Theodore Roosevelt as a leader, you should first know the impact of his visionary leadership.