Presidents Presidential Leaderships I Woodrow Wilson Dem 191321

Presidents Presidential Leaderships

I. Woodrow Wilson (Dem) 191321 � A. Sickly during the 20 s due to stroke suffered in 1919 while on a speaking tour trying to promote the League of Nations directly to the people � 1. Edith Wilson, his wife unofficially took over the reigns of power. � 2. Wilson died 3 years after leaving office (1924) � B. 1920 Election � 1. (D) James Cox-Wilson’s choice and VP running mate FDR � 2. (R) Warren Harding and VP running mate Calvin Coolidge � C. Harding’s win suggested that: � 1. Isolationists desire was strong!! � 2. The League of Nations was dead.

II. Warren G. Harding (R) 192123 �*First President to receive votes casted by women! �A. Background �Small town, rural Ohio; former teacher and newspaper editor �Lt. Governor 1902, US Senator average politician �Described as. Trusting (to a fault), Honest, and Handsome �B. Accomplishments/Strengths � 1. Promised to return to “normalcy” = peace + prosperity � 2. Signed a separate peace treaty w/Germany in July, 1921

�C. Controversy/Weaknesses � 1. Had a loose Leadership-Mgt Style & was a poor speaker � 2. Chose some corrupt cabinet members- his “Ohio Gang” �A. His Secretary of the interior, Albert B. Fall was responsible for the “Teapot Dome Scandal” (illegal sale of gov’t oil. ) � Fall became 1 st cabinet member to go to jail �B. Charles Forbes—head of the Veteran’s Bureau stole $$$ “It’s my friends that keep me walking the floors all night. ” � 3. Supported high tariffs, making it difficult for allies to pay war debts. � 4. Never controlled Congress like strong presidents

�D. Died in office stroke? (1923) � 1. He was genuinely mourned; the scandals surfaced later �A. died popular �B. remembered now as a failure & disgrace (friends ruined him) � 2. VP Calvin Coolidge took over the office

III. Calvin Coolidge (R) 1923 -29 � A. Background � 1. Poor, Vermont, self-mad man � 2. Lawyer Politician –Governor of Mass. ; made famous through his actions in the Boston Police Strike. (broke the union) � B. Accomplishments/Strengths � 1. industrial Prosperity is priority #1 Believed in laissez=fair policy � A. called the 20’s the “business Decade” � B. equated business & religion � C. believed in “trickle Down” Economic Theory (Take care of the “top” and they’ll take care of them “bottom”) � 2. Kellogg-Briand Pact outlawed war (eventually signed by 62 nations as Paris Pact)

�C. Failures/Weaknesses � 1. Ignored farmers & labor (working class) � 2. Poor public, Relation skills; “Silent Cal” � 3. Anti-progressive; failed to regulate the stock market & industries � 4. Lazy “snored as America headed toward the Great Depression” �D. Declined his party’s offer for nomination in 1928 �(did he foresee problems ahead? )

IV. Herbert Hoover (R) 1929 -33 �A. Background � 1. Iowa farm boy; orphaned at age 8 (poor) � 2. Stanford College (engineer); Headed WWI hunger relief in Belgium � 3. Self-made millionaire by age 40; nickname: “Boy Wonder” � 4. Served as Harding’s Secretary of Commerce �B. Won the Election of 1928 (won 42 of 48 states) � 1. (R) Hoover=rural, conservative, dry, Protestant � 2. (D) Alfred Smith= urban, liberal, wet, Catholic

�C. Accomplishments/Strengths (During the 1920’s) � 1. Created Federal Farm Board coordinated crop production � 2. + Thinker ; Spoke often of prosperity (even after the “crash”) �D. Failures/Weaknesses � 1. Timing stock market crashed 8 months into Presidency � 2. Appeared inactive & insensitive during the Depression ; Poor PR (newsreels) � 3. Preached “Rugged Individualism” No Gov’t. handouts” (relief) �E. Served until 1933 ended “ Republican Era”