In this episode of The American Idea, Jeff welcomes Dr. John Moser, Professor of History and the Chair of the Department of History and Political Science at Ashland University, to talk about the rise of Franklin Roosevelt and the origins of his radical presidency. John and Jeff will examine these topics through a fascinating and engaging conversation on Roosevelt’s 1932 campaign speech, the Commonwealth Club Address. Recently ranked the second greatest campaign speech in political history, the speech set the ideological groundwork for Roosevelt’s New Deal policies and the role of the federal government in twentieth century America. Listen to the full conversation to learn more about this essential (but understudied) speech in political history.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Tyler MacQueen