The 28TH U.S. President Woodrow Wilson (L) sits with members of his cabinet in 1916. serving two terms in office (1913 to 1921), Wilson was a progressive democrat who believed in the power of the federal government to regulate the economy, eliminate unethical business practices, and generally improve society. During Wilson’s term the U.S. federal government was also segregated and the Ku Klux Klan experienced a significant revival.