It was dishonest, it was covert, and it cast a dark cloud over the presidency and Reagan's own motives.
In comparison, Roosevelt has his own legacy of poor judgement, too. Roosevelt tried to pack the Supreme Court by proposing to add new justices, and many believe he pointed the country toward socialism.
Roosevelt felt the Supreme Court was too conservative when they overthrew many of the social changes he had created in the New Deal. He felt they were not following the Constitution in their decisions, but were following their own feelings. He wanted to bring the number of Supreme Court justices to 15, and he wanted to encourage them to retire at age 70 (most of the judges were older). However, Congress and the public reacted extremely adversely to this idea, and he eventually gave it up, but suffered recriminations and criticism for long afterward. Authors Siracusa and Coleman note, "Although he took some comfort in the Court's more liberal turn -- he had lost the battle but won the war, many said -- Roosevelt had experienced his first serious defeat and blow to his myth of political invincibility that opened deep rifts within his own party."
In fact, many people accused him of trying to become a dictator.
He did go on to be re-elected two more times, so the court packing incident did not doom his candidacy or his effectiveness in other areas.
Both of these presidents have enduring legacies that seem to grow larger the longer they have been out of office. Roosevelt is the only president to be elected to four terms, and the man who created many of the social programs we still have today, such as Social Security. He was a forward-thinking leader who had specific goals he wanted to accomplish, and started working on those goals the minute he entered the White House. He brought America into World War II, and provided strong leadership during the war. He also authorized the study and creation of the atomic bomb, which ultimately brought the war to an end.
The people seemed to adore Reagan, and his legacy just seemed to grow after he left office. He was known as the "Great Communicator," and he did have a way about him that commanded respect but also seemed very approachable. His legacy is that he helped end communism in Russia and was instrumental in seeing Berlin reunified and the Berlin Wall torn down. In addition, he created sweeping tax reforms that remain a part of his legacy. Writers Siracusa and Coleman continue, "Congress under the lash of Reaganomics approved the largest tax cut in American history, an estimated $750 billion over five years."
In addition, Reagan brought the Republican Party together again. Another writer notes, "Reagan's leadership unified the Republicans into a national party that held its traditional business and Protestant support, competed successfully in the South, and attracted a significant proportion of working class votes."
Thus, each man's legacy is unique, and each man left behind social change.
There is no doubt that both these presidents left great legacies and accomplished much while they were in office. Writer Sloan continues, "Because they created regimes, Roosevelt and Reagan have had more significant and prolonged impacts than any other presidents of the twentieth century."
They were both good presidents, although they faced different challenges...
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