FDR and his "New Deal" redefined Democratic philosophy and put government in the business of providing direct help to the needy. WAR, DEPRESSION, A NEW DEAL Wilson served two terms, leading the nation through World War I, but in 1920 a war-weary electorate embraced Republican Warren G. Harding. The economic boom of the Roaring '20s kept the Republicans safely in power, with Harding succeeded by Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover elected in 1928. But in 1929, the stock market collapsed and the Great Depression began, dooming the Republicans. Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to an unprecedented four terms. [ PREVIOUS | NEXT ]