Presidents Day has been a tradition in America since 1879, when it was originally set on the same day as our well-known first president’s birthday: General George Washington. Although this important 5-star general is one of the most notable presidents- he’s not the only one you should remember from your elementary school history class.
Throughout the years, all of American presidents have had positive policies and actions passed in their terms. However, one of the most important presidents was Abraham Lincoln, who successfully got the United States through the Civil War, preserving the Union, and paving the way for African Americans by setting the stage for the 14th Amendment, giving them the ability for them to have social and civil freedoms. Another president that focused on Civil Rights was Lyndon B. Johnson, who passed the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, which prevented discrimination in housing and removed voting restrictions such as poll taxes and literacy tests.
In addition to remembering the 40-some men who served for the last 236 years- the impact of current and future presidents is important to note. The last few years have been more than just extremely controversial- the tension between the main two political parties has grown tremendously, especially in the last decade. The newest president, Donald Trump, claimed office only a few months ago- but already has many plans for his second term. In his inaugural speech, President Trump said, “I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success. A tide of change is sweeping the country, sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before.” Trump’s dismantling of the government has picked up very quickly- Trump has already fired over 30,000 federal civil service workers as of 2/22/25. Controversy or not, it is clear that Trump has very big plans for his last four years in the executive office.
Although current politics seem unprecedented, Trump is not the first “America-first” focused president to lead this rapid of a change. In Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first 100 days in office he pushed 77 laws through Congress in order to counter the effects of the Great Depression, including the introduction of his New Deal Programs. These programs contributed to the revival of economics and employment by creating public work projects, and financial reforms and regulations. FDR focused the majority of his attention on the recovery of the United States, while keeping stable relations with other countries. Like all presidents, there were also controversies effects to his laws- Several programs, passed to ensure employment, excluded African Americans, enforcing segregation laws preventing their ability to recover from the Great Depression. FDR also refused to pass anti-lynching laws, even though he publicly went against any racial accusations.
Similarly, the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, can be considered one of the most groundbreaking presidents , especially when it comes to civil rights. Obama was the first African American president, previously serving for the Illinois Senate, before he was elected into the US Senate, running against another African American for election. Obama won the election of 2008 against Hillary Clinton, immediately going into actions to improve the country. In Obama’s first 100 days, he passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, closing certain limitations for employees suing due to discrimination, allowing others to continue challenging unequal pay and treatment in their workforce. Obama passed several laws for Healthcare, expanding Medicare, and Health Insurance. Other notable orders passed were those for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center, and he passed orders for killing Osama bin Laden, leader of the terrorist group al Qaeda and the main man responsible for organizing the 9/11 attacks. Throughout his presidency, Obama advocated for control on guns and assault weapons, pursuing the fight against climate change, and the legalization of same-sex marriages.
That said, why is knowing about Franklin D. Roosevelt and Barack Obama necessary? What’s so important about the presidency? “Understanding the performance and the actions of previous presidents help us in the evaluation of both future and current presidents,” says AP United States History teacher, Paul Hoffman. It’s not just as simple as learning from mistakes, however: “There is concern in the power of the executive office and the president, and how it has been expanding throughout the last decade, which needs to be checked from time to time from all parties.” Hoffman is citing concerns that go back as far as the founding fathers with governmental oversight and issues that crop up with government, especially for a country as big as the United States. Hoffman offered the opinion that “Our country is currently more democratic than totalitarian, but imperfect. Improvement is needed to ensure stability.”
And this is more true than you might realize. The electoral college consists of 538 electoral votes that are split up among the 50 states. Although the electoral college is supposed to be based on the population of the state, it is disproportionate. According to usafacts.org, Wyoming makes up about 0.18% of the US population but controls 0.56% of all electoral votes. This ultimately means that if the electoral college really was in continuity with the population- they would have 1 vote, not 4. And even if this may still seem like not that significant- mathematical studies show that each electoral college vote should represent a whole 630,000 people. But the difference is stunning- one electoral vote in Wyoming accounts for around 194,000 people, while a vote in TX, FL or CA accounts for over 700,000. So in the end- are we really that equally democratic for a democratic country?
However- the history of the presidency says otherwise. Starting from the beginning and going all the way back to 1856 with Woodrow Wilson, America has always had presidents interested in spreading democracy. Wilson was one of the main internationalist and imperialistic leaders of the time period, seeking to go out and disseminate American ways. What set Wilson apart from other imperialist presidents of the time, like Roosevelt and Taft, was Wilson’s focus on “moral” diplomacy. He approached his goals through treaties and deals with other countries, making efforts to exist in peace with other countries and set an example for the world. In 1913, the previously rebelling Mexico came under the control of General Victoriano Huerta, a very authoritarian leader with aggressive and often bloody tactics. While many countries respected the rule of Huerta, Wilson decided to reject this and decided to stand firm.
Another president who took democracy at a more civil and less aggressive level was Jimmy Carter. This incredibly accomplished President died this past December, at 100 years old. In his century of life, Carter got many things done, one of the most notable being the Camp David Accords. This was an agreement aided by the US between Israel and Egypt, laying the foundation for a peace treaty. Carter also continued the spread of democracy after his time in office was done. He created the Carter Center in 1978, which he won a Nobel Peace Prize for. The organization is dedicated to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, as well as promoting democracy, human rights, and economic equality.
Whether America truly is focused on democracy or not, one thing is for sure; America has almost always been driven for change- whether it’s to change back to the way it used to be- or change the system entirely.
Sources ~
- The Fulcrum ~ https://thefulcrum.us/jimmy-carter-president
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