Analyzing the FDR Presidency: Personality and Politics

President Franklin D. Roosevelt exemplifies the role that personality plays in defining the success of a president. Charged with the task of leading the United States out of the Great Depression, many scholars note that Roosevelt possessed the personal attributes that were necessary to lead Congress, comfort the public, and adopt policies that were effective in aiding the poor during the Great Depression. In achieving these objectives, Roosevelt transformed the presidency into an imperial presidency by strengthening the authority of his office. Though Roosevelt’s vision and organizational capacity were lacking, the characteristics that aided Roosevelt in transforming the presidency were his emotional intelligence and his political skills.

In order to evaluate the Roosevelt presidency, it is important to understand the criteria through which the personal attributes that influenced his decisions will be assessed. As political scientist Fred I. Greenstein notes, the American presidency enables US presidents to play a critical role in shaping domestic and foreign policy (2). For example, the United States president has the ability to use the veto to counter Congress or unilaterally take military actions. However, it is the personality characteristics of a president that determine how willing a president is to stretch the boundaries of their presidential power. For example, the more cautious presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover might not have taken significant action to curb the Great Depression or engage in World War II because of their adherence to the principles of limited government. Yet, Greenstein asserts that six qualities impact the direction that a president will take as a leader: 1) public communication, 2) organizational capacity, 3) political skill, 4) vision, 5) cognitive style, and 6) emotional intelligence (5). These qualities will form the framework for evaluating Roosevelt’s leadership style during his presidency.

Though President Roosevelt is thought of retrospectively as a powerful leader, there are several personal characteristics that hindered his ability to expand his power during his presidency. First, Roosevelt lacked the vision that was needed to adopt effective policies during his first term in office. As Greenstein notes, the economic conditions during Roosevelt’s term were dire and in need of immediate remedy (15). At the beginning of Roosevelt’s first term, the unemployment rate was at 25 percent, 38 states experienced bank closures, and farmers began to violently revolt against lenders for foreclosing on their farms. While many successful policies emerged during Roosevelt’s first term, the pace of recovery was slow during his first term, and many unsuccessful solutions were initially adopted (Grubin 1994). Rather than presenting a comprehensive vision, Roosevelt adopted the strategy of proposing multiple policy solutions and testing them all out to determine what would and would not work (Grubin 1994). While this flexibility could be beneficial in enabling adaptive policies to emerge, it also served in setting an ambivalent direction for policymakers. The inefficiencies in Roosevelt’s policies nearly undermined his political capital. For example, the Republican Congress started to oppose Roosevelt’s expansions of power during his reelection, making it more challenging for Roosevelt to secure the support he needed for his proposed polities (Grubin 1994). In order to strengthen the power of the presidency, Roosevelt would have benefited from developing a clearer policy vision.

Second, Roosevelt’s unsatisfactory organizational capacity hindered his ability to expand the power of the presidency. As Greenstein notes, Roosevelt utilized the “competitive theory of administration” while he was in office (Greenstein 22). From this organizational style, Roosevelt often fostered o competitive environment that pitted staffers against one another in order to earn recognition or promotions for their performance. However, a consequence of creating a competitive environment is that it increased enmity among staff members and lowered overall morale. The main weakness of this environment is that it would encourage staff members to withhold information from one another in order to promote their careers. Thus, communication can breakdown throughout the administration because of the reluctance of staff members to share important data. This can create organizational inefficiencies that hinder the president’s ability to respond effectively to national security regarding domestic or international threats. Thus, the inability to facilitate an organizational environment that fostered cooperation likely decreased the efficacy of Roosevelt’s administration.

Of the skills that impacted Roosevelt’s leadership style, emotional empathy is the most important attribute. However, even in this category, Roosevelt has key weaknesses that must be addressed. First, through Roosevelt’s upbringing, he learned to conceal his feelings, which would later make him appear to be disconnected as a leader. During Roosevelt’s childhood, he lived in a very sheltered environment where he learned to conceal his feelings in order to appease his domineering mother and to avoid causing grief to his ailing father (Grubin 1994). Further, Roosevelt’s marital problems demonstrate the extent to which he can occasionally be inconsiderate of the needs of others. As Nigel Hamilton records, Roosevelt began having an affair with Lucy Mercer in 1918 (Hamilton 40). Yet, after his wife learned about the affair, Roosevelt salvaged his marriage and kept the appearance of having a happy family simply for the sake of maintaining his political image. Because of these developments in Roosevelt’s childhood and marriage, it was necessary for Roosevelt to constantly hold back information from others.

While Roosevelt’s concealment was often effective, he also inspired distrust and frustration among others. For example, when Roosevelt attempted to utilize manipulative tactics to build a friendship with Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union dictator concluded that Roosevelt was more untrustworthy than Winston Churchill (Greenstein 22). Further, a Roosevelt aid expressed frustration working with the president because of his inability to even be forthcoming to his high-ranking advisers. The backlash that Roosevelt received when he tried to pack the Supreme Court with additional justices represents one consequence of Roosevelt’s lack of candor. Exhibiting a lack of empathy, Roosevelt overstepped his boundaries and proposed appointing six Supreme Court Justices without even consulting Congress or his aids. It can be speculated that Roosevelt might not have received a high degree of opposition if he had first considered the opinions of key Congress members before making the proposal.

Yet, despite these shortcomings, several events in Roosevelt’s upbringing enabled him to effectively use the skills of emotional empathy to expand the power of the presidency. Roosevelt’s father and mother both instilled a sense of civic responsibility in Roosevelt, which prevented him from becoming indulged by his privileged background. Further, Roosevelt’s battle with polio increased his compassion for common citizens (Grubin 1994). Roosevelt’s experience with polio served as a humbling experience, and his establishment of a rehabilitation center at Warm Springs was the first action that he took to proactively care for the less fortunate (Grubin 1994). Also, Roosevelt relied on the support of his mother, even during his presidency (Grubin 1994). These influences enhanced Roosevelt’s understanding of common vulnerabilities and increased his willingness to use his power as president to expand the welfare state in order to meet the needs of the less fortunate in society.

Finally, Roosevelt possessed superior political skills that enabled him to greatly expand the power of the presidency. First, Roosevelt’s upbeat style of communication enabled him to ease the fears of the American public and build support for his policy proposals (Greenstein 15). Demonstrating his prowess in communication, Roosevelt opted to sparingly deliver fireside chats with the knowledge that the public would tire from hearing too many presidential addresses. Further, Roosevelt’s ability to communicate his vague New Deal program in an optimal manner enabled him to achieve a landslide Electoral College victory in his first election. Roosevelt’s ability to engage the public enabled him to gain support for three consecutive terms, greatly expanding the reach of his presidency. By euphemizing the “lend-lease” program, Roosevelt was able to convince the public to increase its involvement in World War II without becoming officially involved in the war. This action was a significant expansion of the foreign policy discretions of the presidency. Also, Roosevelt’s ability to work with Congress enabled him to adopt a series of successful economic reforms and social welfare programs between March 9 and June 1933. Roosevelt’s policy victories serve as a model for the Hundred Days at the beginning of a new presidential term. Roosevelt’s astute political skills played the most significant role in transforming the presidency.

As Greenstein asserts, the leadership style of American presidents is significant in determining the policies that the nation pursues during the president’s term. While a meek president might stay within the Constitutional confines of the office, a bolder president can utilize their personal attributes to expand his power. President Roosevelt serves to exemplify the important role that personality plays in enhancing presidential power. Though Roosevelt lacked vision and organizational skills, he was able to greatly expand his powers as president through his effective use emotional intelligence and political acumen to build support behind his presidency.

Works Cited

Greenstein, Fred I. 2000. The Presidential Difference: Leadership Style from FDR to Clinton. New York: Martin Kessler Books.

Grubin, David. 1994. FDR. PBS Home Video,. Film.

Hamilton, Nigel. 2011. American Caesars: Lives of the President from Franklin D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush. New Haven, NJ: Yale University Press.