Chapter 12
1) What makes a great President (not which presidents have been great) what qualities are essential to greatness? Why?
I think what makes a great President is that they be honest, educated and informed. They should have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish, but they should also be willing to listen and be flexible. If they are so fixed on getting what they want at any cost, they could end up costing this country a lot including allies, and we may need them.
2) Other than Lincoln and George Washington, which Presidents have been the greatest and why?
For my two choices, I chose Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) who gave us the "New Deal". During the Depression he created job programs including the Conservation Corps, the Works Progress Administration and the Tennessee Valley Authority which all employed and trained workers. There was also the National Labor Relations Act- Federal oversight of working conditions, labor standards, and labor disputes. FDR also created the formal position of the White House Press Secretary.
Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963-1969) Johnson was the one who gave us the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Fair Housing Act of 1968. To help the working poor, he also came up with two health care insurances, Medicaid for poor people and Medicare for the elderly.
LBJ also gave us the Food Stamp program, School Lunch program, Head Start, the Job Corps, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. He felt that everyone regardless of income was entitled to a good education.
3) Research a President that you unfamiliar with- list at least three things you learned. Was this President effective? Why or why not?
For this President, I chose James Abram Garfield. He was the 20th President. His term was from March 4, 1881 until September 19, 1881.
He was a teacher as well as an official. Notable events-His secretary of War was Robert Todd Lincoln, the first son of Abraham Lincoln. He was the first left handed president. He could write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other at the same time. First president to campaign in two languages, English and German.
On election day Nov 2, 1880 he was, at the same time, a member of the House, Senator-elect and President-elect. July 2, he was shot by Charles Julius Guiteau. He died of blood poisoning on September 19. He never got a chance to show what kind of president he might have been.
That is very interesting about President James Abram Garfield. It neat that he could write two different languages at the same time. That takes skill. He also spoke different languages. I wish I knew a second language. You stated that he was a teacher. Did it say what kind of teacher? I was wonder if he was a schoolteacher. It is sad that his term as so short. It is not really fair that he did not get a chance to show American what he could do. He may have been a really awesome president. It was fun learned about the president that we don’t really hear about or talk about. I did mine on Millard Fillmore.
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