Franklin D. Roosevelt: An Effective Leader

Through the years of United State’s history, there have been numerous effective and ineffective leaders. One of these successful individuals is Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States. He was born on January 30, 1882 in New York to prominent family, making his education easily acquired and more prestigious than most. One important figure in his life was his distant cousin Eleanor Roosevelt; whom he married in 1905 (Freidel). Additionally, at the age of 39, in 1921, Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio, which paralyzed him from the waist down. However, this did not prevent him from pursuing any government positions, he worked his way up and became president in 1932 when he defeated Hoover (Shmoop Editorial Team). During Roosevelt’s extended presidency, he demonstrated the qualities of experience and reliability; yet lacked in fairness. When Roosevelt first came into office, it was during the beginning of the Great Depression, that occurred 1929-1939. He quickly proposed a plan known as the First New Deal, this provided immediate relief, and worked toward reform and recovery …show more content…
He had a strong connection to the people by utilizing the ratio to do “fireside chats”, informing them about his intentions and comforting their worries (Walsh). This build a foundation of trust between the nation and the president, which had not been established to such lengths before. Also, this led to the support of a number of Roosevelt’s actions and promoted a more optimistic view during this difficult time. He definitely went to extremes in his efforts to improve the situation for the nation. For example, the swift actions taken in attempt to improve the economy in his “First Hundred Days” (Shmoop Editorial Team). He truly dedicated himself to the cause, regardless of his own health, and therefore formed a model for a faithful, trustworthy