Gordon L. Weil
Joe Biden is a president in a hurry.
Conventional wisdom says that President Joe Biden is unusually well versed in Washington’s ways, ready to govern without delay thanks to his long career in the Senate and as Vice President.
Perhaps even more importantly, his presidency may be influenced by three earlier chief executives – Franklin D. Roosevelt, who launched historic policies right after he took office, Barack Obama, with whom Biden served as Vice President, and James K. Polk, highly rated by historians but almost forgotten.
Roosevelt became president in 1933 in the midst of the nation’s worst ever economic crisis – the Great Depression. Biden became president in the midst of the nation’s worst ever health crisis – the deadly coronavirus.
Roosevelt quickly led a Democratic Congress to adopt his bold proposals. He brought about emergency relief, civilian work programs including immediate summer jobs, aid to agriculture, public works and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
He accomplished all this during what he soon labeled “the first 100 days.” Though this fast start was copied by later presidents, the range of achievements of Roosevelt’s “100 days” has never been equaled.
Biden set a goal of 100 million Americans vaccinated in his first 100 days, and the country reached that point even sooner. He also insisted that immediate government spending was essential to restart the economy and help the jobless. A Democratic Congress voted $1.9 trillion with an unusually heavy focus on the poor.
Both Roosevelt and Biden faced a federal government mired in inaction when they took office. The Republicans thought the Depression would cure itself. This year, the Trump administration, having successfully promoted vaccine development, left no plans for distribution.
Biden also learned from his experience with Obama, who had taken two major steps early in his administration. To deal with the Great Recession that he found upon taking office, he got Congress to pass a major stimulus bill. It worked, starting a gradual recovery that would last for a decade.
His greatest initiative was the Affordable Care Act, which would provide health insurance coverage for tens of millions of Americans.
Obama’s successes were undercut by what Biden saw as his “humility.” The president refrained from taking credit for the stimulus, thinking such a claim would make his relationship with congressional Republicans even more difficult. Biden believes he could have accomplished more had he been more aggressive.
The Democrats, emphasizing local issues, left the 2010 national debate on the ACA almost entirely to the GOP. The Republicans effectively campaigned nationally by attacking Obamacare. Voters rejected many Democrats who had supported it.
In sharp contrast, Biden rejected GOP efforts to water down his economic stimulus, after they offered less than a third of what he saw as necessary without even committing to support the lower amount. He immediately began campaigning nationally to support it, trying to protect congressional Democrats for their re-election races next year.
What makes Polk a model for Biden?
Polk is rated among the top presidents because he laid out an ambitious set of objectives and then accomplished them in a single term, in 1845-49. Some historians say he was the most successful president since Washington.
He brought about the annexation of Texas, through the controversial Mexican War, which he launched. He also acquired massive new territory, ranging from New Mexico to California to the Pacific Northwest. He established an independent Treasury, freeing it from dependence on outside banks.
Polk created the Department of the Interior, lowered tariffs in the belief America could compete, and strengthened the executive office of the president. His major drawback was his support for slavery, notably in Texas.
What made Polk special was that he accomplished his entire program in a single term as president. He enjoyed a particularly good relationship with most of Congress though Abraham Lincoln, then a Whig Party representative from Illinois, strongly opposed him on the Mexican War.
Biden almost certainly has a limited time to accomplish his goals. His first priority has been to control Covid-19, mainly by the effective distribution of vaccines. He is readying massive legislation on infrastructure, education, labor development, and climate change. He will also propose an immigration policy.
He wants to restore America’s standing in the world while resisting China and Russia. That means undertaking joint strategic action with friendly countries.
Biden has limited time to achieve his goals, especially the domestic policies. The Democrats narrowly control Congress until the end of 2022, just two years into his term. Cooperation with Republicans seems impossible, so his success depends on early action with the support of loyal Democrats.
Biden, the oldest president, is most likely to retire after only one term. That allows him to focus on his policies not his next campaign or his image. Of course, he still needs public support, but more for what he does than who he is.
He understands that the GOP is in no mood to compromise, believing it can make a comeback next year. He is picking up few GOP votes on most key issues. Unlike Obama, he won’t make one-sided concessions to them.
Biden recognizes that his broad agenda, like Polk’s, has a fleeting opportunity and depends on his maintaining momentum. That makes for an unusual presidency.
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