American Experience . The Presidents . Franklin Delano Roosevelt

The Election of 1936
In 1936 Democratic president Franklin Roosevelt was seeking reelection to the presidency. His main opponent was Kansas governor Alfred M. Landon, a Republican. Twenty-four years earlier Landon had left the Republican party and supported Theodore Roosevelt's progressive "Bull Moose" candidacy. Now Landon was leading the Republican charge against a popular incumbent.

Here are some of the hot issues in the 1936 election... Choose the positions you favor:

Role of the Government
During the Depression there was a lot of discussion about the government's role in the economy. Should it intervene or should the government let the market determine the course?

	Candidate #1: Wants government regulation removed and urges that the states become more involved in addressing concerns.
	Candidate #2: Believes the federal government should intervene directly and aggressively to solve economic conditions.

Pension Funds
The country was divided over a new government-sponsored pension fund -- Social Security. Some thought the government was overstepping its bounds, while others thought it was the government's duty to sponsor such a program.

	Candidate #1: Feels that better, private pension funds should be offered to workers.
	Candidate #2: Feels it is the government's responsibility to set up and administer a pension fund, i.e., Social Security.

Role of America in the World
Military events in Europe and Asia prompted questions about the kind of role the U.S. should have on the world stage.

	Candidate #1: Wants the U.S. to play a strong role in the international arena.
	Candidate #2: Supports a foreign policy characterized as "isolationist."

Now find out which candidate you agree with most, and see how your opinion stacks up to the popular and electoral vote tallies for the 1936 election.

I do not wish to vote but would like to see the current results

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