Transcript of Phone Interview
April 6, 2014
April 6, 2014
What do you think was Roosevelt’s most important aspect of leadership during the Great Depression?
I think, well, it’s hard to say one, but I would say first you have to look at his temperament, at his optimism, and at his hopefulness, so I think that was very important for the people of America to feel that their leader had hope for the future and he projected that hope and he made everyone feel confident in what he was doing. Then, the other part to me is his pragmatism in facing the problems of the day--he would try this, he would try that, he was very willing to see what would work and I think that was a very important quality.
Do you know any specific ways that Roosevelt revised his New Deal programs to increase their efficiency?
Well I’m not so good at that, I mean, I could say things but if I got it wrong you’d get it wrong. He was extending it all the time but I’m not sure about revisions, you know. One thing you might think about is how WWII is what really brought us out of the Depression. We got out of the Depression because the government started spending so much money on the war. For me the greatest revision was readying the economy for war. I guess you could say that he extended the New Deal by bringing up Social Security and the social programs, I guess you could say that.
What do you think specifically distinguished Roosevelt as a leader over other Presidents?
One thing is that he was a great politician just as Lincoln was. He had ideas that he knew how to make into reality because he was really good at playing the political game. And I think to be a good President you have to not only be good at being able to lead the people but you also have to be able to be a really good politician. Politician, the word…in fact you have to be a really good politician to be a good President.
How did most American citizens view Roosevelt during the Great Depression?
Well you know, most people really really were inspired by him. But you have to remember there were always people who loathed him. Especially the upper class people, they called him a “traitor to his own class.” And so, he was more controversial than we might remember or think.
What did you think was Roosevelt’s legacy arising out of the Depression?
I would say there are a few different things. First of all, he made the Presidency into a center of power that it had never been before, that if you look at the way we think of the Presidency now we think the President is the dominant figure in American government even though the founders created the three branches of the government system. Roosevelt – one main legacy is how he was the President people turned to and the President dominated this. So I think that is one way to look at it. You know, the legacy of course is the very practical legacy, of all the New Deal programs that still exist, like Social Security, we still have Social Security, and you know it’s an extremely popular program and nobody dares to touch it. So we still have these programs and they do remain controversial with some people but with the American people they’re not going to, they can’t really mess with those programs.
What are your thoughts on Roosevelt's court packing plan?
Well, I guess I would have to say I sympathize with his efforts to get the Supreme Court on board with what his goals were but his political instincts failed there and it was really not a good thing for him to try to do in politics and of course it was a failure. And you know should he ever have tried to tamper with the Supreme Court at all the public would not approve...
Many historians agree that the New Deal did not end the Great Depression single-handedly, it was mostly WWII, but despite the criticism it faces, what do you think is the New Deal’s legacy?
Oh my gosh, well, we were talking about both of those things weren’t we? Well I agree the War was what finally got us out of the Great Depression. But I think the great legacy is the social programs like Social Security, and the idea that the government can help people, that government is a solution to people’s problems. And that idea is one that we still have today and of course it’s debated thoroughly but it’s still there.
I think, well, it’s hard to say one, but I would say first you have to look at his temperament, at his optimism, and at his hopefulness, so I think that was very important for the people of America to feel that their leader had hope for the future and he projected that hope and he made everyone feel confident in what he was doing. Then, the other part to me is his pragmatism in facing the problems of the day--he would try this, he would try that, he was very willing to see what would work and I think that was a very important quality.
Do you know any specific ways that Roosevelt revised his New Deal programs to increase their efficiency?
Well I’m not so good at that, I mean, I could say things but if I got it wrong you’d get it wrong. He was extending it all the time but I’m not sure about revisions, you know. One thing you might think about is how WWII is what really brought us out of the Depression. We got out of the Depression because the government started spending so much money on the war. For me the greatest revision was readying the economy for war. I guess you could say that he extended the New Deal by bringing up Social Security and the social programs, I guess you could say that.
What do you think specifically distinguished Roosevelt as a leader over other Presidents?
One thing is that he was a great politician just as Lincoln was. He had ideas that he knew how to make into reality because he was really good at playing the political game. And I think to be a good President you have to not only be good at being able to lead the people but you also have to be able to be a really good politician. Politician, the word…in fact you have to be a really good politician to be a good President.
How did most American citizens view Roosevelt during the Great Depression?
Well you know, most people really really were inspired by him. But you have to remember there were always people who loathed him. Especially the upper class people, they called him a “traitor to his own class.” And so, he was more controversial than we might remember or think.
What did you think was Roosevelt’s legacy arising out of the Depression?
I would say there are a few different things. First of all, he made the Presidency into a center of power that it had never been before, that if you look at the way we think of the Presidency now we think the President is the dominant figure in American government even though the founders created the three branches of the government system. Roosevelt – one main legacy is how he was the President people turned to and the President dominated this. So I think that is one way to look at it. You know, the legacy of course is the very practical legacy, of all the New Deal programs that still exist, like Social Security, we still have Social Security, and you know it’s an extremely popular program and nobody dares to touch it. So we still have these programs and they do remain controversial with some people but with the American people they’re not going to, they can’t really mess with those programs.
What are your thoughts on Roosevelt's court packing plan?
Well, I guess I would have to say I sympathize with his efforts to get the Supreme Court on board with what his goals were but his political instincts failed there and it was really not a good thing for him to try to do in politics and of course it was a failure. And you know should he ever have tried to tamper with the Supreme Court at all the public would not approve...
Many historians agree that the New Deal did not end the Great Depression single-handedly, it was mostly WWII, but despite the criticism it faces, what do you think is the New Deal’s legacy?
Oh my gosh, well, we were talking about both of those things weren’t we? Well I agree the War was what finally got us out of the Great Depression. But I think the great legacy is the social programs like Social Security, and the idea that the government can help people, that government is a solution to people’s problems. And that idea is one that we still have today and of course it’s debated thoroughly but it’s still there.