Chapter 7: Leadership of the Polity

In this chapter, Hargrove reviews all the previous chapters. He describes the ideal characteristics of a leader, while recognizes FDR, LBJ, and RR’s most prominent qualities. Hargrove compares their political abilities, skill, persuasion ability, character, cultural leadership, and ability to teach reality. He describes how FDR relied on persuasion and inspiration. He had the ability to make things seem better than they actually were, and had the ability to swindle the public. He didn’t tell them straight lies, he just bended the truth to make it sound more appealing. FDR was known to do things for popularity, like Clinton, and give people a false hope. He told people misleading information to ease them into World War 2. Hargrove’s best comment about FDR is that, “His leadership enhanced citizenship” (165). Hargrove describes that LBJ is basically the opposite of FDR. While FDR used persuasion, LBJ used control. LBJ’s method did not seem to work as well as Roosevelt, because it did not please the people as much. LBJ did not physically appease the public; he gave dull speeches and didn’t look to good on TV. While LBJ did try to inspire people, he did it with a bullying matter, which we believe was a mistake. We think that it would have been much better for him if he tried to relate to people rather than force them to think the way he does. Hargrove notes that Johnson would never have been President if he ran; he only got the job because JFK was assassinated. Hargrove believes, as do we, that FDR made a better impact on the country than LBJ. Reagan, like FDR, used rhetoric to relate to people. He made them feel important and like they actually made a difference and mattered. Hargrove describes Reagan as someone who used the tactic of control. Reagan’s greatest flaw was his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair. Hargrove writes how, “He forfeited his greatest asset, his credibility, because the public did not believe that he was telling the truth” (169). Reagan denied knowing anything about the affair, which outraged the public because the affair involved his closest officials. We feel that it was a big mistake for Reagan to make, and that he should have just been honest. He shouldn’t have focused that much on popularity.

Hargrove feels that “the presidency is a seat of power and an engine for policy making, but it is also a moral agent for the articulation of the ideals of American democracy” (178). We completely agree. Along with making policies to better the country, a president needs to uphold morals.