Warren G. Harding: The American Presidents Series: The 29th President, 1921-1923

Warren G. Harding served as the 29th President from 1921 to 1923. He is often remembered as America's worst president due to multiple scandals, including the Teapot Dome affair, corruption in the Veterans Bureau and Justice Department, and a posthumous revelation of an extramarital affair. Raised in Marion, Ohio, Harding took over the local newspaper and built it into a successful enterprise. He demonstrated skill in local politics and advanced to the U.S. Senate. His 1920 presidential campaign centered on the slogan "America's present need is not heroics but healing, not nostrums but normalcy," appealing to voters tired of intense postwar politics following World War I. As president, Harding enacted legislation to limit immigration, imposed high tariffs to address the postwar farm crisis, established unified federal budget creation through Congress, and reduced both income taxes and national debt. He died unexpectedly in 1923. John W. Dean examines Harding's presidency, separating historical fact from myth surrounding his legacy.