Andrew Coolidge

Coolidge was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. He became president upon Warren Harding’s death and was a staunch conservative with strong pro-business beliefs.

He reshaped the government by shrinking its regulatory role and cutting taxes. He also restored integrity to the executive branch of the federal government and helped preserve a strong economy.

His Presidency

Andrew Coolidge was a conservative Republican president who believed that the government should not interfere with business. He wanted to preserve the old moral and economic precepts while also allowing businesses to grow.

He also believed that the government should not redistribute wealth. Instead, he believed that people should work hard and save their money.

During Coolidge’s presidency, the economy grew rapidly. This was partly due to the policies of Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon.

Coolidge also helped lower taxes by reducing the top marginal tax rate from 73% in 1920 to 25% by 1925. This lowered the federal debt by one-fourth.

When he was elected president, Coolidge faced many challenges. His party, the Republicans, was divided. Southerners wanted to nominate a pro-Prohibition candidate, while easterners wanted an anti-Klan, urban candidate. Midwesterners, however, wanted a Progressive candidate.

The Economy

The United States experienced a great deal of economic growth during Coolidge’s presidency. This growth was a result of policies he and Andrew Mellon advanced to cut taxes, reduce spending, and pay down the national debt.

This growth created what historians now refer to as “Coolidge Prosperity.”

However, this prosperity was not shared equally by all Americans. In particular, farmers suffered greatly from the boom and did not receive any direct government help.

In contrast to Harding’s approach, Coolidge vetoed many bills that could have provided aid to farmers and other industries. He was especially reluctant to support the McNary-Haugen bill, which called for the federal government to purchase surplus crops.

Immigration

Immigration is the process of people moving to a new place for a variety of reasons. They may come to work, to study, or to reunite with their families. It has been a source of social, economic and cultural change in many countries.

Coolidge believed that the United States should only admit people who were welcome in the country, and he supported strict limits on immigration. He signed the Immigration Act of 1924, which greatly restricted immigrants from outside the Western Hemisphere.

He also reduced taxes by passing the Revenue Act of 1924, and his strong economy helped him keep government spending down, resulting in consistent government surpluses and a shrinking federal debt.

In foreign policy, Coolidge kept the United States out of the League of Nations, but he engaged with leaders abroad and sponsored the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928, which outlawed most wars. Although the pact was not successful in staving off the Second World War, it continues to be one of the enduring principles of international law.

Foreign Policy

Foreign policy involves a state’s decisions about how it will interact with other states and non-state actors, such as international organizations. It can be a form of activism, like war, or a strategy to prevent conflict, such as disarmament agreements.

Coolidge’s administration was more inward-looking than previous ones, with little interest in issues outside the United States. In fact, Coolidge adamantly opposed the nation’s membership or major engagement in the League of Nations.

However, Coolidge did authorize American representatives to help settle continuing European financial issues arising from World War I. And he supported disarmament agreements and sponsored the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which outlawed most wars.

As foreign policy becomes more complex and contentious, it is more important than ever for leaders to be able to command and lead. That is the best way to avoid foreign policy gridlock, which occurs when there are no common goals and no clear path for accomplishing them.

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