Daisy Martinez
P U.S History
Hopwood
23 May 2016

    Presidents Since the Great Depression: Roles and Rankings
	Each 4 years, we elect a new president to take on the problems and difficulties of the United States. Some of them do a prestigious job, while other simply want the job because of higher power. Ever since the Great Depression (1929-1939), each president, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama, each has attempted to make the U.S better in many different ways. Even though the president takes an oath, also known as the Preamble, they still do a bad job. Taking that oath and becoming a major influence means that you will do whatever it takes in your power to make the United States better! Based off of clear research and thorough investigation, the 3 best presidents were John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. The worst president (in opinion) is Richard M. Nixon.
	Being a president can sometimes be difficult and a little stressing. From being Chief of State to Guardian of the Economy, there’s already enough on his plate. Each president has 7 roles in his presidency: Chief of State, Chief Executive, Chief Diplomat, Commander-In-Chief, Chief Legislator, Chief of Party, and Chief Guardian of the Economy. Each role is a very important key to the structure of the United States.
	The first important role of the president is Chief Guardian of the Economy. This is a role that focuses on the jobs, taxes, and general prosperity of the country. This role allows the president to monitor and overview what our economic problems are, such as unemployment, high prices, trade with other foreign countries, and many more. This role should always be first on the president’s list because the U.S is mostly based on economy. Our economy consists of stock markets, trade, jobs, unemployment, and many other factors.  From the jobs to the welfare that the government is providing to people, the economy is one of the key aspects of the United States.
	The second important role of the president is Commander-In-Chief. This role allows the president to have full control of the Army, the Navy, Air Force, and Marines. The president decides where the troop shall be stationed, where battleships are sent and located, and how all ammunition and weapons are used. ALL of the military generals take orders from the president. This role is secondly important because war is constantly occurring around the world, even if we are not involved. We must be prepared for battle, no matter what. The president has a major role when it comes to war since he is making all of the decisions.
The third important role of the president is Chief Legislator. Even though Congress are the ones that develop laws, the president still has a huge impact on these laws. The president can also advise Congress to pass or to veto laws as well. This role is thirdly very important because the president and Congress are the ones who are creating laws to protect and conserve the United States. If we didn’t have laws, the world would be very corrupt with no true leadership.
The fourth important role of the president is Chief of Party. This role allows the president assist in helping the political parties (democratic and republican) get elected or appointed to office. He also campaigns for those members who have had a great influence on supporting his policies. This role is a huge benefit for the president because he is basically kind of giving a recommendation to the parties. It’s also a benefit because he gets to elect who gets to have a voice in the White House.The fifth important role of the president is Chief Executive. In this position, the president is in charge of all the executive workers in the Executive Branch. He also decides which methods to use to enforce the law. Finally, he also gets to choose and help elect the officials and advisors to run the Executive Branch. This role is very crucial because the United States is enforced by laws. Without the executive branch, our country would be very chaotic. It’s also very important because the president gets to assist in deciding who works for the government. You can’t just hire anyone.
The sixth important role for the president is Chief of State. In this part of the presidency, the president is known as a motivating role model. He or she is basically “royalty” to the people of the United States. From celebrating national holidays to being shaken by the hand of the president, the president is a true and living representation of the nation. This role is crucial to the nation because everyone needs a role model. What better role model to look at than the president? He’s a true symbol of the United States, and demonstrates it by being the leader of the United States.
The seventh important role of the president is Chief Diplomat. This is where the president decides what American diplomats and ambassadors shall stay to foreign governments. Also, the president makes up the foreign policy the United States. In my opinion, this role has some good and bad views. For example, on the good side, it helps maintain peace with other foreign countries. On the other hand, what if conflict arises between countries? Even though you have a written document, that’s not going to stop the conflict. The president has to be cautious when creating the foreign policy. This is why I feel that this role is the least important.
Based on opinion and through research, I have declared the 3 best presidents since the Great Depression (in numerical order): Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, and John F. Kennedy.  The worst president (IN OPINION) is Richard M. Nixon.
The first president that did an above and beyond  job was President Franklin D. Roosevelt. As Guardian of the Economy, he was the one to create the Presidential Role of Guardian of the Economy to help overcome depression. He also enacted the Fair Labor Standards Act to protect the economy (which was later amended by Kennedy). As Commander-In-Chief, Roosevelt declared war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor, which was fairly reasonable, in my opinion. While Roosevelt was Chief Legislator, he published many bills during his “First 100 Days” program to grant immediate relief to tens of millions of  those who were unemployed during the Great Depression. He also established Social Security, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. As Chief of Party, the Democratic Party was renewed. He was also a part of the “FDR Coalition”, which was the alignments of interest groups in the United States that supported the New Deal and voted for Democratic presidential candidates. As Chief Executive, he guided America out of isolation. He also balanced power and peace, and prepared America as a new world power after WWII. As Chief of State, he had “fireside chats” broadcasted. He was also involved with foreign dignitaries. Finally, as Chief Diplomat, he benefited the U.S in many ways in this role. For example, he developed the Good Neighbor Policy withdrawing American forces from Latin American countries. He also supported the case for intervention in WWII through the Destroyers for Bases Agreement and Lend-Lease Act, which supplied ships and armament to Allied forces. He also relocated 100,000 Japanese American civilians into internment camps in 1942. He also endorsed the creation of the United Nations and the Bretton Woods System of monetary management among states.
The second president that also did an excellent job was Lyndon B. Johnson. He made a lot of improvements in every branch that he worked on. For example, as Guardian of the Economy, he stressed that it was necessary to have tax cuts. He also signed the Revenue Act of 1964, which reduced tax rates and income on many U.S citizens. As Commander-In-Chief, he was involved in the Vietnam War. During the war in Vietnam, the president stated that we needed support. Johnson received support from Congress to do a bomb raid. As Chief Legislator, he vetoed the Federal Employees Life Insurance Bill, which would increase coverage for employees by over 30%. Even though it helped benefit employees, it still had its economic flaws. Also, as Chief of Party, he wanted equal rights for everyone. Johnson’s 1964 election victory was accompanied by 28 Democratic senators and 295 Democratic representatives, which were pretty good chances/advantages of winning the election.  As Chief Executive, Johnson noticed that crime was becoming an increasing issue in America. He decided to send Congress a letter addressing this issue. In the letter, he stated that those laws should be more enforced and represented in the citizens of the U.S. Johnson as Chief of State, granted the Medal of Honor to the father of Milton L. Olive III. Milton was awarded this because he jumped on top of a grenade to save his friends. Finally, as Chief Diplomat, one of Johnson’s trips involved going to Malaysia with Prime Minister Rehman. Also, he made his first speech on April 7, regarding Vietnam, which intended to create an ambitious $1 billion development program along the vast Mekong River.
The third president that did a good job on benefitting the Unites States was John F. Kennedy. His presidency demonstrated true commitment and dedication towards the United States. For example, when Kennedy was the Guardian of the Economy, when his presidency led to the longest sustained economic expansion since World War II. During his four year term, GDP increased more in 4 years than it had in 8 years. By 1964, $100 billion dollars and a 16% growth rate had provided more than 3 million jobs and a record rise in labor income. He also show good skills in the position of Commander-In-Chief. During his presidency, he went through 3 conflicts: They Bay of Pigs (Cold War Invasion), The Cuban Missile Crisis, and The Space Race. In the Cuban Missile Crisis, on October 1962, American U-2 planes photographed nuclear missile sites being built for the Soviets in Cuba. By his reaction, Kennedy ordered for a naval blockade to be built around Cuba. This construction of a naval blockade led to the crisis diminishing. For the Space Race, Kennedy wanted to help America’s confidence by surpassing the Soviets. In this manner, Kennedy asked for an additional $7-9 billion dollar grant for the Space Program over the next 5 years, which was granted. On the other hand, in The Bay of Pigs Invasion, the mission was a complete disaster. Kennedy also made an impact on the Civil Rights Movement as Chief Legislator. He concentrated on enforcing civil right acts and passing many more to come. His first move was to send troops to desegregate schools in the South. He also advocated an anti-crime bill, extension of social welfare, and even more low-cost housing. As for Chief of Party, he made many appearances and speeches while in office. He also gained the vote of many African Americans, and also built a larger voting base for the Democrats. As Chief Executive, Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which amended the Fair Labor Standards Act. This abolished wage disparity based on sex (male or female). He also had two groups that were a part of his role: the National Security Council and the “New Frontiersmen”. Kennedy being Chief of State did a prestigious job. He was a very good and strong speaker, and he was entered into office with a 70% approval rate. He also handled the Cuban Missile Crisis well, and still kept good relations with the Soviets. He was also the first president to effectively use live TV press conferences, in which he held 64 while in office. Finally, as Chief Diplomat, Kennedy was a very social president.  His major negotiations with other foreign countries were the Nuclear Ban Test Treaty with the UK and the Soviet Union, and the Cold War.
The fourth and final president, who did the worst job in my opinion, was Richard M. Nixon. He does have benefits, but also has some major flaws in particular sections of his roles. While being Guardian of the Economy, recession in 1970 hurt Republicans in congressional election. Also inflation went up from 1.59% to 5.84% from 1965-1970. While being Commander-In-Chief, he was part of the bombing of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the worldwide nuclear alert. During his presidency, he had the largest round of antiwar protests in American history. He also signed the Paris Peace Accords in January 23, 1972.  As Chief Legislator, he passed legislation regarding drug abuse and crime. He also favored confrontation rather than compromise. He also supported the enhancement of power of president (which in my opinion, isn’t really a good thing). As Chief of Party, he gave a speech known as Checker’s Speech created larger coalition for the Republican party. He also lost 12 house seats, but on the other hand, gained 2 Senate seats. As Chief Executive, he had 346 executive orders issued. Also, cabinet positions were different from beginning to end. One characteristic  of the White House staff was that they were mostly hierarchical. As Chief of State, he disliked press conferences and was viewed as a loner. After the Watergate Scandal, this caused public to question the government, in which they didn’t really respond to the public. On the other hand, his most famous speech was the Checker’s Speech. One flaw while in the Chief Diplomat role was that he attempted to use China, the Soviet Union, and North Vietnam against each other. On the other hand, he improved relations with China and developed a better relationship with the Soviet Union.
Electing a president takes a lot of decision and thought. There are thoughts that you have to consider when electing a president. For example, what are their methods of tackling a huge problem? What are their pros and cons as to helping the country? Will they give the people of the United States a voice in the government? These are the questions to mainly consider for our next election. Presidents since the Great Depression have done good accomplishments to helping our country, while on the other hand, have done significantly nothing.