POL 499: Senior Seminar in Political Science: FDR: Don't Kill the Messenger

Franklin Roosevelt's radio addresses, collectively called Fireside Chats, was also the birth of the media era of the rhetorical presidency. This work tells the story of the First Fireside Chat, the context in which it was constructed, the events leading to the radio address, and the impact it had on the American people and the nation's economy.

This title explores how Americans viewed Nazi Germany during World War II, the extent to which the public opposed the president's vision for planning both Germany's defeat and future, and how opinion and policy interacted as the Roosevelt administration grappled with various aspects of the German problem during this period.