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REGION: North America

TOPIC: U.S. Presidency

Online NewsHour

Posted: December 2, 2008

Lessons From Presidents Past

Forum Introduction

		As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office amid an economic crisis and conflicts overseas, the experiences of former presidents Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt are being regularly recalled, including by Mr. Obama himself.

Was the national debt as large when FDR took office as is today?

FDR used the fireside chat to gain trust and credibility. What can Obama do?

What was Europe's reaction to the election of President Lincoln?

Even though the country was in turmoil, why didn't FDR or Lincoln use more influence during their transition periods?

What do you think it is about this country or its character that brings leaders to the presidency when they are most needed?


	Erin Sweeney of Littleton, N.H. asked:

	President-elect Obama wants to create jobs through infrastructure improvements. This brings to mind the Works Progress Administration of FDR's administration. Was there a large national debt for FDR? Do you think that such a program would help today?

H.W. Brands responds:

The deficit was much smaller in Roosevelt's day, in both absolute terms and as a proportion of GDP. Most economists today believe that government spending will have to play a substantial role in making up for the shortfall in private spending.

FDR took six years to come to this conclusion, and it really wasn't until World War II that he authorized (and Congress accepted) really big budget deficits-which worked like magic to revive the economy.

Main: Obama's Transition to Power


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