Calvin Coolidge

30 th President of the United States of America

(1923-1929)

 Republican

 

 

 

"I have never been hurt by anything I didn't say" -President Coolidge

 

" We do not need more intellectual power, we need more spiritual power

We do not need more of the things that are seen, we need more of the things that are unseen" - President Coolidge

 

1.Challenges at home

 Social Circumstances:

• Coolidge succesfully balanced the budget and decreased the deficit. He also expanded the federal role in road building. Although he made no other social steps forward, Coolidge didn't help the African-Americans with their civil rights and he had an extremely discriminatory policy for immigrants. Coolidge was declared to be president for the "haves" and not the "have-nots".

 Economic Circumstances:

• Coolidge cut taxes in order to put more money into the hands of consumers and investors, his secratory of commerce, Herbert Hoover forged a "new era" alliance between government and big businesses.

 Political Circumstances:

• In 1927, Coolidge vetoed a bill that was suppose to provide extra payments to World War I servicemen.

 

2. Challenges faced Abroad

 Political circumstances:

• Challenges faced abroad, seeked to improve the strained relations that existed between the United States and Mexico. Also tried to establish a dialogue with the emerging nations of Latin America. The Coolidge administration opposed to U.S. entry into the league of nations.

 Economic Circumstances:

•   Coolidge didn't get involved with economic problems of other nations because he was 'working' on making the American economy better.

Social Circumstances:

• Coolidge was a president for the 'haves' and not the 'have-nots', so he didn't help other nations with their civil or social problems. For example the growing conflict in Europe was ignored by Coolidge, he was very passive.

 

 3. Presidential Hats

 Commander in Chief

• blamed for the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed. 
• Coolidge couldn't really show his talent as Commander in chief since there was no major event or war going on during his presidency.

 Chief executive:

• His goal was to hold down costs. He passed laws including raises for postal workers, bonuses for Veterans Of the Great War and the McNary-Haugen bill to help the agricultural depression

 Chief Diplomat:

• The Dawes Plan of 1924 which temporarily helped the German Economy by reducing German reparations payments
• The Kellog - Briand Pact of 1928, which purported to outlaw war
• Coolidge was not a forceful leader in matter of foreign affairs and relied on others to make decisions like Charles G. Dawes and Frank B. Kellog.

 Ceremonial Head-of-State:

• He lacked of charisma and so he used his regular radio addresses to forge a personal bond with the public. Coolidge felt the providing the public with insight into the private life of the president would foster a feeling of trust and familiarity.

 Manager of the Economy:

•  During the Coolidge years the economy boomed. Coolidge seemed like an 'economic wizard', but he really didn't know anything about how the economy worked. He also didn't bring in experts to help him with the economy. It was evident by the late 1920's that the stock market was going to crash and the economy was going to be in turmoil, but Coolidge didn't do anything to help, instead he handed it to his successor: Herbert Hoover.

• Coolidge was part of the republican party, but he wasn't elected into the office of the presidency, he was vice president but President Warren. G Harding died and Coolidge assumed to role of president.

• Coolidge was drab and uncharismatic, he wasn't a forceful leader.

Some historians say that Coolidge slept through his five and a half years in the White House. Frederick Lewis Allen even says that Coolidge was "one of the worst President to attain high office". He was a man unusually suited in an unsual time and gave the Americans what they wanted although History shows it wasn't what they needed. The Coolidge years saw decreasing governmental activity and few legislative accomplishments. Another factor that would show his unability to govern was that he always relied on his advisors to take care of the Pacts and Acts such as the Kellog Briand Pact. He was just there to agree on the plan but it wasn't actually his idea. Coolidge wasn't either a president that was helping the needy, as we said before he was more of a president for the "haves" than the "have nots". Therefore we agree that Coolidge wasn't even close to being great president, not even an average president. Calvin Coolidge more of a poor president.

 

5. Sources???

 

Kunhardt, Jr., Philip B., Philip B. Kunhardt III and Peter W Kunhardt. The American Presidency: The American President. New York: Penguin Putnam, 1999

 

McPherson, James M. To the Best of My Ability: The American Presidents. New york: DK Publishing, 2002

 

2002-2003 PBS/WGBH. WGBH Educational Foundation. 7 May 2007

      <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/>

 

American President: President Calvin Coolidge. University of Virginia University. 7 May 2007

      <http://www.millercenter.virginia.edu/academic/americanpresident>

 

 

 Camille Vatel and Dasha Gutkin

A1 American Studies

Mr. DeZwaan

May 18th 2007