How far do you agree that the personality of the president was the most significant factor in the changes in
the presidency in the years 1917-80?
Personality of the President:
- Changed the level of presidential involvement in policy-marking
o Harding ‘laissez-faire’, Hoover ‘rugged individualism’ Roosevelt 1933 New Deal
- Changed president’s role in welfare
o R New Deal, Truman Fair Deal, Kennedy New Frontier, Johnson Great Society
- Changed expectation of president (more open with public)
o Roosevelt ‘fireside chats’
o Truman not open about Korean war – media twisted, Truman held responsible
- Nixon untrustworthy, tapes swearing & lying
o Decreased prestige of the presidency (people shocked)
However…
- Not sustained change, fluctuated depending on president’s beliefs (e.g. welfare – workfare)
- Good personality at times insufficient for changes 1937 NRA & AAA unconstitutional, ‘packing SC’
- Increased power only due to other factors (GD, War, economic downturn)
War and the Cold War
- Increased demands on the president (GI Bill, wartime subsidies)
- War increased presidential power
o Allowed R to pass acts (March 1941 Lend Lease Act)
o President acted without congress (1948 Berlin airlift – trend continued, Kennedy 1961 Bay of
Pigs invasion of Cuba)
o 1947 National Security act (CIA & NSC – White House not Congress)
- Increased pressure on the president
o Hard-line on communism (1949 ‘China Lobby’, 1950 Committee on the Present Danger)
o Blamed for failure – ‘Hey! Hey! LBJ…’
Can argue…
- Power increase began due to Roosevelt (therefore personality bigger factor), but significant changes
came after death 1945, more convincing to argue Roosevelt = temporary reaction to Great Depression
& WW2 gave him ‘special powers’ – impact of war more sustained change
The Media:
- Media role changed
o Increased responsibility of president, more critical (Nixon Watergate, Carter incompetence)
- Growth of media
o 1960 92% homes had radio, 85% homes had TV 1960
- Presidents able to exploit media – brought personality to importance vs policy
o ‘we like IKE’ campaign song
o ‘fireside chats’, ‘off the record’ press meetings
o Truman first address to nation on TV, Eisenhower first televised presidential debates
However…
- Didn’t increase official powers of the president, predominantly increased accountability
- Media holding Presidents responsible due to increased power resulting from war
- Different presidents used media to different extent – not sustained change
