Differences And Impacts Of Ronald Reagan And Franklin Delano Roosevelt

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Ronald Reagan and Franklin Delano Roosevelt can both be seen as two of the greatest American presidents of the 20th Century. With great presidencies also come great similarities and differences. Both began their presidency when the United States was undergoing severe economic distress. Roosevelt implemented his New Deal while Mr. Reagan enforced his combination of tax cuts and policy of less government intervention that has otherwise been known as “Reaganomics”. Both presidents instilled such a lasting optimism into within the United States. Roosevelt helped his country through his Fireside Chats and his social programs to end the Depression. Both presidents left their mark on the United States comparable to the other. Each transformed their …show more content…
Reagan and Roosevelt were both instrumental in changing the very fabric of the United States. According to the Hauenstein Center, “Each man had served as governor of the nation’s largest state. Each entered the White House in a period of great economic crisis. Each brilliantly used the media to enlist public support for his agenda” They strategically used the media in such a way to enlist gain support of the majority of Americans for each of their own political agenda. They were also both highly effective communicators. The impact of the message that Reagan expanded on during his presidency was highly similar to the message of Roosevelt’s New Deal. A message of hope and fearlessness. When examining Roosevelt’s message, one can see that het managed to radically transform the lives of many Americans during his presidential term. Through his Fireside Chats, Roosevelt was able to encourage the American people who were faced with joblessness and other financial hardships. Also, Through New Deal programs like the National Recovery Act, the Works Progress Administration, and the Civilian Conservation Corps, he took action that produced actual results. This only showed the huge effort made on Roosevelt’s part to better the United States. He also organized rallies and marches in order to promote the New Deal in hopes that it will inspire Americans across the nation. Simply put, Roosevelt successfully managed to control the fear and …show more content…
In 1932, the United States was suffering through the Great Depression, which placed millions of Americans out of work. Roosevelt thought that in order to stimulate the economy, he had to devise a social program called The New Deal- which included government funding, as well as new laws and regulations to protect workers during that time. This social program was in complete contrast to Reagan’s economic policies in that The New Deal got the U.S government involved with the economy, which Reagan was firmly against under the notion of capitalism. One can see that Roosevelt had a much bigger involvement with government in the economy, “Despite the fact that both FDR and Mr. Reagan greatly impacted the way America viewed itself, Roosevelt’s actions impacted the actual workings of the government and economy more than Mr. Reagan’s did Reagan had advocated the government to stay out of the economy, however, Roosevelt had advocated for more government intervention” (The Legacies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan). Another example of contrast would be Reagan support for reduced government spending, yet Roosevelt showed support to increase government spending through federal programs. Reagan promoted for self- reliance, while Roosevelt placed emphasis on federal

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