The American people were suffering as the 1932 presidential election rolled around. More than 20% of the nation’s workforce sat idle, unable to find work in the midst of the worst economic depression the country had ever experienced. The electorate put its faith in the hands of the optimistic and confident Governor of New York, Franklin Roosevelt, a 50-year-old progressive Democrat who was offering a “New Deal” that would bring the full power of the Federal government to bear to solve the nation’s ills. Roosevelt captured the presidency in a landslide, and immediately launched the most aggressive period of presidentially-driven legislation in the nation’s history. Roosevelt’s New Deal sought both immediate relief as well as long-term institutional reform. In terms of the former, the results were actually quite meager. Despite billions in expenditures and numerous new authorities for the Federal government, the hallmark statistic of the Depression (unemployment) remained at persistently high levels throughout the 1930s. The real impact of Roosevelt’s New Deal was more structural and long-term, providing new mechanisms to ensure economic security for the American people, with the initiation and acceptance of far greater reliance on the Federal government than the country had ever experienced before.

The New Deal did not end the Great Depression – World War II did, as millions of Americans became employed and billions were expended in the fight against the fascists of Europe and imperialists in Japan. Once again, the nation looked to FDR to lead them through this global conflagration. Roosevelt had earned the people’s trust and confidence during the economic battles of the ‘30s, and the citizenry practically insisted that the President stand for an unprecedented third term amid the international threat to civilization across the globe. Roosevelt didn’t miss a beat, pivoting his natural leadership talents to not only bring the full power of the United States to bear in the fight but also to serve as a global leader who could use his rare personal talents to forge an international coalition that eventually led to victory. As with the New Deal years, there were plenty of ups and downs during the war period, and there were certainly challenges left over when FDR passed from the scene early in his fourth term. Nevertheless, Franklin Roosevelt has been rightly hailed for the leadership he provided the American people during these most perilous years, providing hope and optimism during troubled times with his ever-ready and reassuring reminder that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”