Roosevelt's Administration and The Restoration of Society's Trust in Presidency

At the beginning of the 20th Century, many Americans had little confidence in the presidency due to the inability of past president to work for the good of the people along with a lack of accountability and prowess in foreign affairs. Upon Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, all of these issues were reversed and America was stable at home and powerful abroad. Roosevelt’s political agenda was carried out to its completion, an extremely impressive feat that many other presidents haven’t been able to accomplish. When evaluating his domestic agenda, his foreign policy and his shaping of the president’s role in society, it becomes clear that Theodore Roosevelt was the most positively impactful president of the 20th Century.

In terms of domestic policy, Roosevelt was most positively impactful because he established the precedent of a strong president and enacted legislation that benefited all Americans. Roosevelt’s domestic platform, known as the Square Deal, revolved around the goal of achieving economic and social justice. Arguably the most important component of Roosevelt’s domestic agenda was his environmentalism. One example in which Roosevelt demonstrated his environmentalism was his creation of the U.S. Forest Service. Prior to then, there hadn’t been a government agency dedicated solely to preservation. As the first environmentalist president, Roosevelt created a model for future presidents who pursued environmental reform. Environmental legislation has become more important as time progresses in American politics due to the efforts of Roosevelt. Another defining aspect of Roosevelt’s Square Deal was his focus on trustbusting. Roosevelt radically altered the relationship between big business and government during his presidency. His support of the Sherman Antitrust Act was groundbreaking because at the time as no other president had done anything similar. Although the act was seen as a paper tiger, it eventually led to the Clayton Antitrust Act which put massive restrictions on businesses. Roosevelt showed he was serious about attacking trusts by taking down JP Morgan’s trust, at the time the biggest trust in America. As a result, large corporations were held accountable which continues to remain relevant in current politics. Another way Roosevelt regulated business was through his backing of the Elkins and Hepburn Acts, both of which dealt with railroad companies. The Elkins Act prevented railroad companies from giving discounts to their biggest customers, which had benefitted large companies. The Hepburn Act strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission, giving the agency the authority to set maximum prices for railroads. This weakened the grip of big business over society and helped promote economic equality.

In terms of foreign policy, Roosevelt asserted American dominance, a concept past presidents hadn’t implemented. Arguably Roosevelt’s biggest foreign policy achievement was obtaining access to the Panama Canal. After getting access to the canal, trade increased substantially because shipping times decreased causing trade to be much more profitable. The acquisition of the Panama Canal still has massive implications for the American economy, as many shipping companies use it to move their products quickly and effectively. No other president made a trade acquisition that had both created immediate growth and simultaneously created a long-term route for trade that has lasted over 100 years. The motto of Roosevelt’s foreign policy was to Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick, which he accomplished and as a result increased American influence internationally. The concept of this policy was that America should have a large military but should avoid instigating conflict. Roosevelt achieved this by increasing spending on the military and displaying that increased strength to other nations. The impact of this was that countries increasingly saw America as a global superpower, and his approach is still used by many defense strategists today. Another way Roosevelt added to American influence internationally was his proclamation of the Roosevelt Corollary, an addition to the Monroe Doctrine that stated that America could and would police the nations of the Western Hemisphere at will. Part of the reason Roosevelt issued the corollary was that European nations were trading with Latin American countries at the expense of American interests, and Roosevelt wanted Europeans to stay out of the Western Hemisphere. This was significant because it showed other nations that America was serious about its desire for international influence and that perceiving America as all bark and no bite would be a fatal mistake.

Roosevelt’s presidency redefined the role of the president as it pertained to legislative authority and relationship to the general public. Roosevelt’s ability to increase the power of the presidency in relation to the other two branches of government is what makes him the first modern president, as until his presidency the idea of a strong, powerful president hadn’t existed. Roosevelt gets the reputation as the first modern president not because of the time period in which he served, but rather because he dramatically expanded the power of the presidency in legislative affairs. As the first of three consecutive Progressive presidents in the Progressive Era, Roosevelt introduced a new political ideology that would shape the nation for years to come. Roosevelt also radically redefined the role of the president because of his response to relevant social issues at the time. At the time of his presidency there were many muckrakers, or investigative journalists who looked to uncover the problems in America. One such muckraker was Upton Sinclair, who published the book The Jungle showing the horrifying process meat packing companies used. Roosevelt, going against what was common for most presidents before him, not only read the book but responded with legislation, by pushing the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act through Congress. This legislation created mass government regulation of the meat packing industry and established the Pure Food and Drug Administration, a government agency dedicated solely to implementing safety regulations for food which still exists today. Acting on public pressure was extremely important because it showed America a president who was accountable for the people he was leading, and who truly cared about the needs of the many over the wants of the few. Prior to his presidency, Americans didn’t trust the government to be a force for positive social change. However, since his presidency, it is rare to find a president who wasn’t expected to work for the good of the American people at-large.

When evaluating the positive impact a president had, it is important to look at not only what they did for America during their term but how their actions shaped the nature of future presidencies. Looking at positive impact through this lens proves Theodore Roosevelt to be the most positively impactful president of the 20th Century because the groundbreaking actions he took as president not only benefitted the American people during his tenure in office but also radically altered what characteristics made up a good president. Many of the actions presidents have taken since and presidency and many future presidential actions can be tied to the actions of Roosevelt’s presidency.