William Howard Taft Achievements

William Howard Taft Achievements
William Howard Taft was born on September 15, 1857 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born into a large
family of five siblings – two of which were from his father's first marriage. Taft's father was deeply
involved in politics by the time he was born, serving as both secretary of war and attorney general
for President Ulysses S. Grant. Taft's' mother, Louisa Taft, was a powerful women's rights activist.
Her adventurous character and intelligence swept the family along at a rapid pace. At a young age,
Taft developed a fear of disappointing his accomplished parents. Taft's infamous fluctuating weight
is often contributed to these family stresses and anxieties. Subsequently Taft threw himself into his
studies. His eagerness to please makes it easy to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Progressives, keen on attacking Taft for non–progressive ways, fail to credit him with cracking more
"trust–busting" cases than Roosevelt. Taft created the eight–hour work day for government
employees, and supported the Sixteenth Amendment by reinstating the income tax. He threw the
first pitch of the baseball season opener, creating the presidential tradition. Helen planted the first
saplings of the famous Japanese cherry trees with the Japanese ambassador's wife. More
humorously, Taft owned the first presidential car and the largest bathtub. Overall, Taft as a person is
remembered as simple, honest, and civilized. Taft's own view of the presidency is simply stated in
this quote: "I don't remember that I was ever President." It was never Taft's goal to become
President, but Taft carried through honorably.
After he left office, former President Taft went back to his passion: law. He taught for over eight
years as a professor of law at Yale University. When President Harding appointed Taft to be the
ninth Chief Justice of the US in 1921, his dream was finally fulfilled. Taft served as chief justice
until his death leaving behind him a legacy of hard work and an honorable service
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Theodore Roosevelt 's The Progressive Era Essay
Theodore Roosevelt's presidency marked the beginning of a very liberal period in American history.
This new 'Progressive Era' was mobilized largely by the middle class as an attempt to put an end to
the problems created by the period of excess that was the Gilded Age. Believing that big business
was ruining democracy, and assuming a moral obligation to shield the poor and downtrodden from
corrupt capitalists, the Progressives commenced an era of sweeping reforms. From the outset, the
Progressive movement targeted domestic issues such as political machines, monopolies, and factory
regulations. While President Roosevelt–the face of the Progressive movement–frequently became
entangled in global affairs during his time in the Whitehouse, the focus of Progressives during this
stage remained primarily on domestic concerns. It was not until after Roosevelt's presidency that the
Progressives followed their patron's lead, becoming active participants in foreign affairs. Theodore
Roosevelt's exit from the spotlight and subsequent return to politics in 1912 caused the Progressives
to split from the Republican Party, and when war broke out in Europe in 1914, Progressives were
then divided amongst themselves regarding how the Great War should be handled from afar. As
foreign policy issues became a larger concern than domestic issues, the Progressives shifted their
attention away from home and toward foreign policy. As his second term concluded, Theodore
Roosevelt handpicked William

William Howard Taft Dbq
William Howard Taft once said "Action for which I become responsible, or for which my
administration becomes responsible, shall be within the law" (Brainyquote.com). Taft was the first
U.S President to throw a first pitch at a baseball game. President Taft was easy going even with the
nickname of Big Lub (because of his weight). After his Presidency, Taft lost about 70 pounds within
a few years of leaving the White House. Taft attended Yale university and came in second in his
class. In college, he stayed away from sports to focus on his studies. Taft was the twenty–seventh
president of the United states of America. He served from 1909–1913. In 1921 President Warren
Harding made Taft Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, ... Show more content on
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When Roosevelt returned he gave speeches that undermined the work Taft had done. Roosevelt once
again became involved in politics but continued to attack his successors administration. He received
many letters from people wanting him to run for president. Roosevelt had decided to run for
president once again. William Taft made his nomination acceptance speech on August 1, but had a
hard time financing the campaign and most people knew he couldn't win. Governor Woodrow
Wilson was the Democratic nominee. Woodrow Wilson was to become the next President of the
United

America 's New Sense Of World Power
Abby Thompson
Period 5
HOTA Paper
After the years of the American Civil War, America embarked on a manifest destiny, 2.0. America
decided they wanted to expand their territory across the waters. There were many approaches that
were suggested by previous presidents, all with the same goal: World Dominance.
The Big Stick idea was brought to light from President Theodore Roosevelt. The plan reflected
many of the same impulses that were motivating domestic reforms that were taking place in
America. He wanted to expand that reform to Cuba. He wanted to send a message that reflected to
nations America 's new sense of world power. With this policy Presidents could exercise power
unfettered and alone if he was overseas in an american territory. Roosevelt believed that a civilized
(industrial) nation was to go in to uncivilized (non industrial) countries and have the right as well as
the duty to intervene in the affairs of a "backward" nation to preserve order and stability, "for the
sake of both nations" he said.
Venezuela, for example, had a deteriorating economy that began to renege on debts of european
bankers. In response, the Roosevelt Corollary (now the Monroe Doctrine), was put into play. the
Roosevelt Corollary claimed the united States had not only the right to European intervention in the
Western hemisphere but also to intervene itself in the domestic affairs of its neighbors if those
neighbors proved unable to maintain order and national sovereignty on their own, such

President Taft Dbq
Although William Howard Taft had been President Theodore Roosevelt's handpicked successor, Taft
soon proved to be incompetent in many foreign and domestic affairs. To many Americans, it quickly
became evident that Taft did not share the same political viewpoints as his successor, Roosevelt,
had. Compared to Roosevelt, Taft was not as energetic and ardent; his policies caused much
controversy from the Republican Party and Roosevelt himself (Brinkley 606). In addition to Taft's
passivity towards Congress, his administration was significantly comprised of members who did not
stress reform. This would lead to poor decisions regarding Progressive Era reforms (Bailey 697).
Even though President Taft had a few international accomplishments and domestic achievements
dealing with trust busting, his ineptitude in office led to the splitting of the Republican Party and the
outrage of former president Roosevelt. President Taft's foreign policy increased political interests
internationally, and they quelled revolts in the Caribbean. "Dollar diplomacy", which referred to his
approach to foreign affairs, established financial security in the Far East using the money earned by
bankers on Wall Street. This would "strengthen America's defenses and foreign policies,", and it
would prevent other European countries from interfering in South American affairs (Bailey 698). All
in all, "dollar diplomacy" was Taft's generally successful way of secure foreign markets using
American investments.

Was Theodore Roosevelt A Productive President?
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the president of the United States during the time of 1901 to 1909.
He was vice president during William McKinley's term. When McKinley was assassinated in 1901
by Leon Czolgosz, Roosevelt had to step up. He was a Republican, but his foundations were more
progressive. This plays a part in why he did not get the Republican nomination in the year 1912. He
lost the nomination to his handpicked successor Taft, who had run as president in the previous term
(1909–1913). When he did not get the nomination, Roosevelt decided to run as a third party which
he called the bull moose party. By doing this, it splits the Republican vote between Taft and
Roosevelt. This has a large effect on the election, causing the Democrat Woodrow Wilson to become
president. Woodrow Wilson was president from 1913 to 1921 with World War I happening in 1914.
Wilson declared neutrality. Because of this, some people ask, "What if Theodore Roosevelt has been
president during World War I?" In the article, "The Election of Theodore Roosevelt, 1912" by John
Lukacs, he writes about an alternate universe of sorts where Roosevelt wins the Republican
nomination and the presidential election of 1912. In this report, the following questions will be
answered: Was Roosevelt a productive president? How do Roosevelt and Taft compare and contrast,
as well as Roosevelt and Wilson? Would Roosevelt be an efficient president if he won the 1912
election? My thoughts are weaved throughout the

Taft Dbq
Throughout the beginning of the 1900's, Roosevelt became immensely favored and adored by the
majority of United States citizens. After Theodore Roosevelt served his terms of presidency from
1901–1909, he declared that he would not accept a renomination for another term. With being in
control of the Republican Party and also becoming quite favored, Roosevelt was able to name who
his successor would be. With having being so popular and trustworthy, Roosevelt commanded the
Republican Party to stay loyal to his ways by nominating and supporting Roosevelt's secretary of
war, William Howard Taft. When Roosevelt left office, he stated,
"I have the profound satisfaction of knowing that he [Taft] will do all in his power to further every
one of the great causes for which I have fought and that he will persevere in every one of the great
governmental policies in which I most firmly believe" (6).
However, when election time came around, many Americans were not impressed by the actions that
Taft had taken and the way he carried himself. Many Americans were against Taft and believed that
he was not competent enough to take on the job. When Taft ran for his second term in 1912, his
opposers, betrayal of the Republican Party and his seemingly lack of political knowledge and
training cost him the election.
Mid–way through his first term, Taft had changed his motives and wanted to remove so called
"disloyal" members from the Republican party. Around this time, Taft was also in a

Objectives Of The Progressive Era
LESSON 17 – Progressive Era Objectives: Identify and understand how reform movements changed
society Identify and understand how women influenced change Identify and understand the impact
of Presidential policy upon America Change comes to the United States In the beginning of the 20th
Century, a movement called Progressivism began to improve American society. The Progressivism
movement had four major goals: A) To protect social welfare by fixing the various problems of city
life. Organizations were created to forward this goal, such as the YMCA that built libraries and
public gyms and the Salvation Army provided food for the poor and nursery care for the young. B)
To push for moral reform, with a special emphasis on ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Woman were largely responsible for cooking, cleaning, sewing and raising the children as well as
assisting with the farm crops and animals. In cities, many women who lacked higher education
joined the workforce by becoming domestic servants and maids. African–American and unmarried
immigrant women often used this path to employment. In 1900, a quarter of women who worked
outside the home worked in industry, with almost half working in the garment industry. The growth
of business demanded workers to fill in the expanding clerical, stenograph and office work. To meet
this demand, more women sought further education to train for these jobs. Women in the middle and
upper classes created and joined groups dedicated to promoting culture and education. Due to their
efforts, the number of women's colleges increased and many of the new college graduates joined and
aided the various reform movements. These reform movements were focused on increasing safety in
the workplace and at home. The National Association of Colored Women was created to help
African Americans by providing family based support opportunities such as nurseries, reading
rooms and kindergartens. Another important cause of woman Reformers was the suffrage
movement, which promoted the right to vote for woman. This effort was headed by the National
American Woman Suffrage Association, and by their efforts, Wyoming became the first state to
grant women

Goals of the Progressive Era Essay
The term Progressivism implies a philosophy that promotes change/reform in the current political,
economic, and social aspects of society while conservatism stresses gradual change in society but
promotes tradition rather than change. The Progressive movement from 1901 to 1917 worked to
improve aspects of society that grew out of problems which occurred during the Industrial Age. The
goals of the "Progressives" were to stop monopolies, corruption, inefficiency and social injustices.
Both progressive acts and amendments were being passed to deal with social ills, corruption in
politics and corporate America. The period from 1901–1917 was more a victory for liberalism,
mainly "modern liberalism", than a triumph of conservatism due to the ... Show more content on
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Through busting the bad trusts Theodore attempted to stop monopolies from forming. This is an
example of government intervention to remedy the effects of capitalism and a liberal practice. He
also started the progressive or the "Bull Moose" party. Clearly, these reform movements as well as
the busting of trusts move away from the traditional aspect of politics and promotes autonomy of the
individual as well as strong government to remedy the defects of capitalism, both liberal ideals.
Furthermore, economics also played a key role in describing whether liberalism or conservatism
triumphed in this era. President William Howard Taft encouraged a policy known as "Dollar
Diplomacy" where the United States invested in foreign countries in order to gain power. This dollar
diplomacy would make money for as well strengthen the US. Later Taft went on to become more of
a trust buster than Roosevelt. His most noteworthy bust was the Standard Oil Company, one of the
largest trusts of the time, which was ordered to be broken into smaller companies in 1911. He then
went on to attack another one of the largest trusts, The US Steel company which Roosevelt had
allowed to survive since he deemed it as a good trust. Roosevelt became furious as Taft when he
heard of this. Taft then passed the Payne–Aldrich bill which he unwisely named "the best bill that
the Republican Party ever passed" which split the Republican Party into old school/more

The Progressive Era
Turning Points in America The Industrial Revolution is known as a time–period of great significance
in America. Between the late 1700s and the early 1800s, this period not only changed America; it
changed the world. This revolution began when people started to burn fossil fuels to use as sources
of energy for their farming and daily tasks. Although in modern times fossil fuels seem to be
decreasing quickly due to excessive use, society has become extremely dependent on them for
gasoline and transportation, machine fuel, and the generation of electricity. The Industrial
Revolution increased living standards immensely. The Progressive Era of 1900–1916, which is
covered in chapter 18 of the text, Give Me Liberty, also marked a turning point for America
regarding social change, political reform, and urban growth. It was during this period that
Americans began to question their freedom. Overall, the Progressive Era showed expansion of
political and economic freedom. Examples of this are as follows; "Americans demanded immigrants
abandon their traditional cultures and become fully "Americanized"; political power was used to
expand workers' rights; the women's suffrage movement was revived; efforts were made to improve
democratic government by weakening authoritative powers and giving ordinary citizens more
influence on legislation" (Give Me Liberty, page 683). In the beginning of the Progressive Era, a fire
broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company which drew much public

William Howard Taft: The Reluctant President Essay
The 27th President of the United States was born William Howard Taft on the 15th day of
September, in the year 1857 to Alphonso and Louise Taft, of Cincinnati, Ohio. As he was the first of
their sons to survive past infancy, his mother did not mind that he had outgrown all the baby clothes
she had sown for him when he was only seven weeks old. Due to his large size he was given the
nickname of "Lub" or "Lubber" which only fueled his desire to succeed in school and on the playing
field. He later became to be known as the largest president in the history of United States, weighing
in at 320 pounds. Although it was rumored that due to his large size he actually got stuck in the
White House bath tub. It took six aides and a gallon of butter to ... Show more content on
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They both shared a love for reading and books and soon fell in love but there was no talk of
marriage. Then in 1882 Williams' father was appointed the judge ambassador to Austria–Hungary
and William was appointed the collector of Revenue for the first district in Ohio, thus his political
career seemed to be off to a good start. That is until he was asked by the Republican Party to do
something unethical and he refused. He resigned in December and took a position at a law firm that
was headed by a former associate of his dad. The following summer he visited his parents in Austria
and traveled about Europe but he soon became anxious to return home as he could not stop thinking
about Nellie. They courted for a year before William finally asked her to marry him. They were
married on June 19th in 1886. They honeymooned in France, England, and Scotland before settling
down in Cincinnati, OH. Nellie became the driving force behind William, pushing him into politics.
In 1900 president McKinley promised him a position as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court if he
would consent to be the civil governor of the Philippines. He took the position organizing civil
government and proved to be an excellent executive and administrator. During service to the
Philippines he was offered two positions as Chief Justice which he turned down in order to

William Howard Taft Essay
William Howard Taft was Americas 27th president. William was born on September 15, 1857. He
was born in Cincinnati, Ohio into the Taft family. Taft's dad, Alphonso Taft was a lawyer and public
official; he was Presidents Grant's secretary of war. Taft's father was a lawyer. William's mother
Louise Maria Taft was Alphonso's second wife. William had two half brothers, two brothers and one
sister. His ancestry consists of English, Scotch–Irish. William attended a public school in Cincinnati.
He went to Woodward High School and then Yale University in 1874. He was quite a smart boy; he
graduated second in his whole class of Yale University. Williams's father also attended Yale and
graduated in 1833 to later become a tutor at Yale. Taft, after ... Show more content on
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Taft was opposed by William Jennings Bryan, running for a third time. Progressives were excited
with Taft's election and conservatives were delighted to be rid of Roosevelt. The campaign which
Taft won was more about personality than the issues. Taft won with 52% of the popular vote. Taft
knew his techniques would be different from Roosevelt. Unlike Roosevelt Taft did not believe in
stretching his presidential powers. In foreign affairs Taft pursued an active role in Latin America.
Taft thought of the idea of a World court to deal with issues all over the world. Domestic issues
included Taft shunning many progressive republicans by defending the Payne–Aldrich act which
continued high tariff taxes. A trade agreement with Canada was pushed through congress with Taft's
help, but unfortunately the Canadians rejected it. Taft had many accomplishments as president, but
many were not recognized. One accomplishment of Taft's was 80 antitrust suits. During the Taft
administration, more than twice the numbers of antitrust suits were instigated than under Roosevelt.
Major victories were won against Standard Oil of New Jersey and the American Tobacco Company,
the Sugar Trust and U.S. Steel. Roosevelt was generally supportive of these Taft actions, but not the
move against Morgan and U.S. Steel; the former president criticized Taft by proclaiming that Taft
was unable to see the difference between a good trust and a bad one. Also

Theodore Roosevelt Was The Best Man I Ever Know.
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was fond of quoting an old African proverb that admonished people to "speak
softly and carry a big stick." Ironically, it was his thunderous voice that made him president, earned
him enemies and brought him friends. That voice also made him the bulwark of the Progressive
Movement.
On October 27, 1858, Roosevelt was born on East Twentieth Street in New York City to Martha
Bulloch, who he described as a "sweet gracious, beautiful Southern Woman" and Theodore
Roosevelt Sr., who he wrote was "the best man I ever knew." Roosevelt was born into wealth, with
his father a henchman of the family firm, Roosevelt & Son. Roosevelt's grandfather, Cornelius Van
Schaack Roosevelt, had earlier redesigned ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
After that conversation, Roosevelt "fully intended to make science my life work." He had not
considered becoming a politician. Rather, he was hard at work on a book he would later publish on
the War of 1812.
As time progressed, Roosevelt became bored with laboratory science. When he left Harvard, he
studied law "but the law books ... seemed to me to be against justice." Almost immediately,
Roosevelt became interested in politics. He joined the Republican Party in 1880 when the party was
treated like a "private corporation." Roosevelt had to muster his strength to "break into the
organization."
And break into the party he did.
He was elected as the youngest legislator in fall of 1881 and reelected the next two years. Roosevelt
would write, "three years' experience convinced me, in the first place, that there were a great many
thoroughly corrupt men in the Legislature, perhaps a third of the whole number." He also was
angered by the courts and would write, "I grew to realize that all that Abraham Lincoln had said
about the Dred Scott decision could be said with equal truth and justice about the numerous
decisions which in our own day were erected as bars across the path of social reform, and which
brought to naught so much of the

History: Theodore Roosevelt And William Howard Taft
In history Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft made a major impact. Theodore Roosevelt
made a huge impact when he went into office and accomplished so many things while he was
president as well as William Howard Taft. They both had their own ideas of reformation, their
interpretation of progressive, and their accomplishments in the presidency. Both the presidents had
different but similar ideas of reform. They both supported each other with the idea of a "Square
Deal" to help the people as well as to break up the monopolies but the difference was that Roosevelt
supported labor unions and Taft was less Progressive.
Theodore Roosevelt served as the 26th president from 1933 until his death in 1945. He entered the
White House and the progressive

Chief Executive : The President Of The United States...
Chief Executive: As a chief executive the president has the power to Enforce laws, act as
administrator of the federal bureaucracy, issue executive orders, and appoint and remove judges and
other high ranking officials in the government. The first person to go was Chief of the United States
Forest Service,Gifford Pinchot, due to a scandal involving U.S. Secretary of Interior, Richard
Ballinger.Ballinger accused Roosevelt of using his power improperly by moving large tracts of
public lands into reserve status.Interior employee Luis Galvis accused Ballinger and said that he had
acted improperly by opening Alaskan coal fields to private mining interests.Galvis then looked to
Pinchot for help. Everyone involved was later investigated and it was concluded that Ballinger 's
actions were proper and that Pinchot would be dismissed for insubordination however Pinchot
openly criticized Galvis and Taft indirectly he was fired immediately. Taft later hired Walter Fisher
as the new secretary of interior. He also hired multiple justices of the supreme court such as Horace
Harmon Lurton and Mahlon Pitney. Chief Diplomat: As chief Diplomat the president has the power
to to make treaties, make executive agreements with foreign nations, and extend or withdraw
diplomatic recognition to a nation. This job also requires you to have a foreign policy. Taft's foreign
policy was based on the concept of Dollar Diplomacy. Dollar Diplomacy was to ensure the financial
stability of a

How FDR Transformed Progressive Ideas
The progressive party promotes quite an aspiration, engaging political, social, and economic reform.
Ted Roosevelt and his supporters triggered a debate about the future of America. Milkis shows this
political battle and revisits a time when a party was swallowed by it's leader's goals. These goals
were kept and then emerged mass democracy. Milkis shows the members of the Progressive Party as
activists led by TR who dedicate their program to direct democracy, civic duty and rights. Men who
want to fight for civil rights and antitrust policy through a created concept that would succeed in
ending their long term goals for the political future of America. 1912, A "critical year" as Milkis
calls it. In this election we have an ex–president who returns from retirement and goes up against the
successor in his own party. New tactics were used as there were "technological breakthroughs,"
"dynamic growth," "new sources of capital," and much more(pg1). TR leads his followers out of the
party and creates the progressive party which "remains the most important third party on the
American political landscape(pg2)." near the end of the election, TR gives a speech and at its end he
gets shot. Roosevelt was very unconcerned with direct democracy but whenever he was put up
against Howard Taft he would dedicate much effort from his enthusiasm, created through an
entanglement of personal need and a political motive. His campaign superseded the idea of political

William Howard Taft Influence On Big Fat
William Howard Taft was the United States, 27th President. He held office from 1909 to 1913. He is
the only person to ever serve as a president, as well as a US Chief Justice. During his college years,
he adopted the nickname "Big Lub," due to his large size. His weight would eventually lead to
adulthood obesity, which would result in him developing sleep apnea and high blood pressure.
These healthy conditions eventually led to his death on March 8th, 1930. Obesity happens when
calorie becomes more than the calories burned by exercise and daily physical activity on a daily
basis. William Taft stood 6 feet tall, weighing over 300 pounds once in his life. His profuse appetite
led to morbid obesity. According to the CDC, weight that is higher than what is considered as a
healthy weight for a given height is described as overweight or obese. Obesity is a scary condition,
being that is a gateway for many other ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
President Taft suffered from severe obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a common disorder that's
causes your breathing to stop or become very shallow. Taft's airways collapsed or became blocked
during his sleep, which would result in a snort or choking to regain breaths. Due to this, he could
sleep, but was incapable of getting full rest. Bad eating habits, being male, and small airways are all
factors that contribute to sleep apnea. Many cases of sleep apnea are treatable with weight loss,
surgery, adjusted sleep position, and the avoidance of sedatives. According to Kingsman P Strohl,
MD, "people with severe obstructive sleep apnea(OSA) are more than twice as likely to be involved
in a motor vehicle accident as people without these conditions ." Left untreated, sleep apnea can
ultimately lead to cardiovascular conditions, like high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and
abnormal heart rhythm. These underlying conditions would eventually lead President William Taft
to his sudden

Theodore Roosevelt and Progressivism Essay
Theodore Roosevelt, like Jackson and Lincoln, believed that the president had the duty of initiating
and leading Congress to implement a policy of social and economic benefit to the people at large. As
he himself put it, he found the presidency "a bully pulpit." Roosevelt's policies,
designed to secure a greater measure of social justice in the United States, were outlined in his first
message to Congress, on December 3, 1901. Roosevelt's address included demands for federal
supervision and regulation of all interstate corporations; for amendment of the Interstate Commerce
Act to prohibit railroads from giving special rates to shippers; for the conservation of natural
resources; for federal appropriations for irrigation of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Among the new laws were the Elkins Act (1903), aimed at eliminating the discriminatory practice of
secret rebates given by various railroads to certain shippers, and the Hepburn Act (1906), aimed at
strengthening the Interstate Commerce Commission in its authority over railroads and other public
carriers. During his administrations (after completing McKinley's administration, Roosevelt was
elected in 1904), the Department of Justice instituted 43 suits against the trusts and won several
important judicial decisions, including one ordering the dissolution of the Standard Oil Company of
New Jersey as a holding company with a monopoly on oil refining. Other domestic reforms in
Roosevelt's program, which he called the Square Deal, were his expansion of forest reserves and
national parks; the appointment of the National Conservation Commission in 1908 to promote
further conservation; and the passage of the Meat Inspection Act. Also passed was the first of the
Pure Food and Drug Acts, which followed a federal investigation of packing–house conditions
prompted by revelations made in Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle (1906) (see Sinclair, Upton
Beall). Roosevelt gained worldwide importance through his dramatic speeches and actions as
president, his inauguration of the building of the Panama Canal, and his activities in ending the
Russo–Japanese War (1904–1905). Roosevelt declined to run for reelection in 1908 and the

Political And Political Ideology Of William Howard Taft
Background & Political Ideology William Howard Taft was the son of Alphonso Taft, the U.S.
attorney General and then Secretary of War in President Ulysses S. Grant's Cabinet, ambassador
under Chester A. Arthur, and politically active Progressive Republican. William Taft went to Yale
and was a member of the Skulls and Bones Society, an elite club known to host many powerful and
influential members of society that his father was an original member of, many of them businessmen
or future businessmen. He married Helen "Nellie" Herron, daughter of a judge and Republican Party
activist. He became friends with Theodore Roosevelt. It's safe to say these direct connections to
politically active Republicans influenced Taft to be a Conservative–leaning Progressive Republican.
Taft's own ambitions to be Chief Justice and work as a judge also gave him temperance and value
literal interpretations of laws and the constitution. When Taft was appointed as governor general of
the Philippines and then later served as provisional governor in Cuba, he came to feel sympathy for
their problems but also came to believe that East Asian and Latin/Central American societies were
immature and required long–term U.S. involvement.
Political Ideology– Campaign and Election
Taft was nominated by the Republican Convention as Teddy Roosevelt's successor. He held similar
positions to Roosevelt such as laborers being allowed to organize and his policies on trust–busting.
He focused on economic issues and

The Progressive Era Of The Revolutionary Era
Which of the primary features of grassroots Progressivism was the most essential to the continued
growth and success of the reformist movement? Why?
The root of the Progressive Era comes from the emergence of industrialism in the United States had
created some terrible problems and they wanted to work together to change the U.S government.
Therefore, address the problems that had come about from the Industrial Revolution. The
progressive era was all about making advances in a better society, the feature of democracy during
the progressive movement a lot of these progressive at local state levels started to focus on cleaning
up the government, they believed that too many governments elected officials did the bidding of
corporations rather ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
One of the strategies used by the progressive was mass organizations, the mass organization was
used by groups who otherwise lacked political power.
21.2). How did the goals and reform agenda of the Progressive Era manifest themselves during the
presidential administrations of Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson?
Roosevelt 's going to embrace what he likes to call a square deal for the American people the square
deal is going to embrace the three C 's Roosevelt 's going to want to control the corporations or have
control of the corporations for his actions. Roosevelt 's going to be seen as a trust buster, this will be
one of the first times that the government is going to use the Sherman Antitrust to effectively break
up a monopoly. Roosevelt utilized the legislature as a vehicle to assist the general population
intrigue, he saw the administration as a Bully pulpit to lecture thoughts to the general population and
get the American individuals on his side. He was exceptionally occupied with both local and outside
approach and he sets the political plan for the entire nation. His political program the square
arrangement, intended to recognize great organizations that gave valuable items and administrations
at reasonable costs from detestable partnerships that existed just to profit. Roosevelt was also a

The Gilded Age
Preceding the Progressive Era, the Gilded Age showcased a vast number of changes in the
industrial, economic, political, and social aspects of developing America. These changes, such as the
rise of competitive industries, the continuous diverge of social and economic classes, and
government authority, were issues carried into the early 20th century. Resulting from these issues
were those that emerged, causing a reform movement, the Progressive Era. These leaders included
Woodrow Wilson, incumbent President William Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, and Eugene V.
Debs. These candidates in the Presidential Election of 1912 campaigns were dominated by the
reform efforts. While the candidates had the similar desire to reform the nation, their plans
contrasted in the aspects of the limitations of the government, control over businesses in accordance
with the economy, and civil rights and service for the people. Aforementioned, the candidates sought
to reform the government in the manner of how it controlled America, nationally and locally. Prior
to the developed political ideas of the candidates, America was flourishing in industrialization with
new industries in the Gilded Age. Major business tycoons and their corporations such as John D.
Rockefeller and the Standard Oil Company became so powerful that they ultimately began to
control the government. This was also because the government decided to regulate businesses in a
"laissez–faire" manner, which means the government would

The Presidential Election Of 1912
The presidential election of 1912 was fought amongst four major candidates. Woodrow Wilson was
brought up by his father, a Presbyterian minister, and his mother, daughter of a Presbyterian minister
brought up Woodrow Wilson. He was president of Princeton University and governor of New Jersey.
He represented the Democratic Party and had a combination of high morality and high–minded
detachment. Eugene Debs was a well–known Socialist and union man for the Fireman's
Brotherhood and American Railroad. He was never interested in the complex economic and political
theories but in the dignity and humanity of the average worker. Another candidate was Theodore
Roosevelt who revolted from the Republican Party and helped form and led the Progressive Party.
He was brought up by a moderately wealthy family and ended up being governor of New York. Our
final candidate was William Howard Taft who's "first love was always the law, and his highest
aspiration to serve as chief justice, not as president" and a close friend to Theodore Roosevelt. Taft
was also representing the Republican Party. One issue that would have been important to me if I
were a voter in 1912 would have been Women's Suffrage. Many men and women believed that men
were "fundamentally different" and that women should stay out of politics because its just a "man's
world". Others argued that it was time for women to come out of the shadows of men and prove that
they, too, can help their country and other residents with

What Are The Similarities Between President Bill Clinton...
President Bill Clinton and President William Taft
Has anyone ever thought about our greatest presidents? Who was better than who? Why? Many
have and one can find the easy answers, but this paper goes deep into the lives of two great
presidents, President Bill Clinton and President William Taft. President Clinton and President Taft
were very different presidents for the United States of America, however, President Clinton had a
more accomplished presidency because he signed the violent crime control and law enforcement, he
led the nation to a period of strong economic prosperity, and while he was in office, unemployment
rates were the lowest in decades. Read into the depths of both of their lives and presidency, then
anyone would agree. President Clinton's life was very exciting and interesting, especially his early
life. He was born on August 19, 1946 in Hope, Arkansas. "His father died in a car crash 3 months
before Bill was born. He was left in the care of his mother, Virginia Cassidy Blythe. To provide for
Bill, his mother moved to New Orleans, Louisiana to study anesthesiology, while Bill stayed with
his grandparents, Elridge and Edith Cassidy." (Biography.com, April 25, 2017.) His grandparents,
while opposites in many different ways, did well raising President Clinton. They both loved ... Show
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Who would have thought that Bill Clinton had problems at home or was raised mostly by his
grandparents? Again, President Clinton and President Taft were very different presidents for the
United States of America, however, President Clinton had a more accomplished presidency because
he signed the violent crime control and law enforcement, he led the nation to a period of strong
economic prosperity, and while he was in office, unemployment rates were the lowest in decades.
And remember, as Bill Clinton once said, "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be
fixed by what is right with

Why Is William Howard Taft Considered A Failure Of President
William Howard Taft was president in the 1910's and served as the 27th president of the United
States until 1913. His tendency to contemplate every side of an issue served him well as chief justice
but rendered him indecisive as President. In general his presidency was seen as a failure. William
was later defeated for re–election by Woodrow Wilson in 1912. During Woodrow's presidency world
war 1 started in 1914. He was for world peace and democracy. During the war he tried to keep
America neutral but felt he had to declare war on Germany in 1917. After the war, he helped
negotiate a peace treaty called 14 points. Woodrow expressed equality for all americans but in the
end those words where just outright lies. He threw civil rights activist

A Brief Biography Of Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, was born on October 27, 1858 in New
York City, New York. In 1880, Roosevelt married Alice Hathaway Lee, and had one daughter with
her. His mother and Alice died on the same day, Alice died from Bright's disease two days after the
birth of their only child. After Alice's death, Roosevelt married Edith Kermit Carow, and begot five
children with her. In 1889, Roosevelt became the Governor of New York, and later on was chosen as
McKinley's vice president because Thomas C. Platt conspired with national party boss Mark Hanna
to keep him from running for a second term in the governor's office. After McKinley being
assassinated, Roosevelt was sworn as the 26th president at the age of 42,

The 1912 Crucial Election
The year 1912 brought one of the most important presidential elections in United States history.
Four nominees confronted one another during this election: Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson,
Progressive leader Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, Republican William Howard Taft, and Socialist
Eugene Debs. This election also proved to be crucial as it brought forth new considerable and
"substantive" discussions concerning the Union and its future. These issues included, whether
government should expand democracy, apply more control over businesses, and how solve the labor
conflict, among others. Each of the four major presidential candidates took a position on these
issues, either choosing to support or oppose such changes. The presidential ... Show more content on
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The final nominee in the 1912 Election was the Socialist Eugene Debs. Debs as a Socialist deeply
cared for the needs of the worker and pledged to take the necessary steps to strengthen America's
working class. As a former Conventional Trade Unionist, Debs knew that reform was needed in
order to change conditions for working Americans. "True socialists" however, differentiated
themselves from "unionists" how sought for more industrial action than political action. Even
though Roosevelt, Wilson and Debs seemed to express support to worker rights; each had his own
position on the issue. Each advocated for different measures that would help the individual worker's
social needs as well financial needs. Taft, however, did not fully support the worker's rights.
The issue of direct democracy was another important question during the election of 1912. Direct
democracy concerned whether to expand the United States' rule of democracy. Under the established
democratic system, the people had very little active participation. However, the newly found ideals
of direct democracy called for the "people to rule," thereby increasing their role in the American
government. Direct democracy included many ideas, but among the most important were the ideas
of initiative, referendum, and recall. The initiative allowed a group of voters who obtained a certain
number of signatures on a

Essay on Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington
1856–1915, Educator
Booker Taliaferro Washington was the foremost black educator of the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. He also had a major influence on southern race relations and was the dominant figure in
black public affairs from 1895 until his death in 1915. Born a slave on a small farm in the Virginia
backcountry, he moved with his family after emancipation to work in the salt furnaces and coal
mines of West Virginia. After a secondary education at Hampton Institute, he taught an upgraded
school and experimented briefly with the study of law and the ministry, but a teaching position at
Hampton decided his future career. In 1881 he founded Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute on
the Hampton model in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Washington cultivated local white approval and secured a small state appropriation, but it was
northern donations that made Tuskegee Institute by 1900 the best–supported black educational
institution in the country.
The Atlanta Compromise Address, delivered before the Cotton States Exposition in 1895, enlarged
Washington's influence into the arena of race relations and black leadership. Washington offered
black acquiescence in disfranchisement and social segregation if whites would encourage black
progress in economic and educational opportunity. Hailed as a sage by whites of both sections,
Washington further consolidated his influence by his widely read autobiography Up From Slavery
*menu.html* (1901), the founding of the National Negro Business League in 1900, his celebrated
dinner at the White House in 1901, and control of patronage politics as chief black advisor to
Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft.
Washington kept his white following by conservative policies and moderate utterances, but he faced
growing black and white liberal opposition in the Niagara Movement (1905–9) and the NAACP
(1909–), groups demanding civil rights and encouraging protest in response to white aggressions
such as lynchings, disfranchisement,

The Revolution Of The United States
From 1900 to 1920 a political group called the progressives demanded change and more government
involvement after the gilded age where there barely was any action taken by the government. While
the progressives were becoming more and more popular among politicians and people they brought
reform and change to the United States. The progressives brought change through industries, social
movements and the economy. The progressives, (as their name suggests) brought progress to
America that forever changed the United States for the better. Without the progressives Americas
change to more government involvement for the time being would never have happened thus
showing the American people what is truly "American". As the industrial age was booming and
factories were abundant among the United States, progressives thought about what was unfair in
America and came to the realization that something had to be done about factory conditions. The
idea of unfair labor treatments was brought to the courts many times but the most significant was
Hammer v. Dagenhart (Document G). The supreme court struck down the Keating– Owen child
labor law which reduced child labor in factories for kids who were under 14. Now instead of being
born into a job that your parents have or just taking the quickest job you can to get money, kids were
more likely to go to school and diversify their intelligence (document C). Progressives were also
bringing the awful factory conditions of the time to light.

The Reform Of Progressive Era Brought
Not everyone welcomed the reforms that Progressive era brought. As people who believed in
Constitution of United States is the best political charter yet created by mankind, "conserve" it and
handed it down to the next generation as it is the best practice to guarantee the free exercise of the
inherent rights of individual through strictly limiting the power of the government, Elihu Root,
William Howard Taft and Henry Cabot Lodge, Sr., leading members of the Republican Party, faced
challenging time during the Progressive era. They strove to "conserve" the core principles of the
American constitutionalism from reformist of Progressivism. As people trust that our (Americans)
liberties can remain secure only if government is so limited that it cannot infringe upon inherent
rights, they resisted the Progressive ambitions for direct, unrestrained democracy and the resulting
the attacks on the courts, representative government, and the traditional limits of the presidency.
Three men, mentioned above, understood and accepted the necessity of Progressive reforms, and
new Amendments, although many people saw them as a big boulder blocking their way to
Progressive. In fact, they didn't try to The Sixteenth Amendment had widespread support, and they
gave it theirs in part to end the bitter disputes about tariff schedules that had long divided the
Republican Party. It is also worth noting that the first income tax passed under the Sixteenth
Amendment had a top rate of 7 percent and

Was William Taft an Effective President?
A fat guy stuck in a bathtub? Or an effective President? Though President Taft was mostly thought
of as the man who had to be lifted out of the bathtub, in reality, he was much more than that.
President William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States. But, was he any good?
Although Taft is not a famous president (aside from the only thing that people actually remember
him for), he did make some very important contributions to our country. Persistence and intelligence
are two of the most important qualities of an effective president. President Taft had both of these
qualities, and that is part of what made him an effective president. Even before his presidency, Taft
was a lawman. His first venture into politics and law was becoming Assistant Prosecutor of
Hamilton County, Ohio. In 1887, he was appointed judge of the superior court in Cincinnati. At age
32, he became the Solicitor General of President Benjamin Harrison. He was the youngest person to
receive this position at the time. From 1901 to 1904, he was the first civilian Governor–General of
the Philippines. The last position he held before his he became president was Roosevelt's secretary
of war in 1904. All of these positions gave him political experience, which prepared him for
presidency. Taft was extremely intelligent. As a young adult, he attended Yale College. He graduated
2nd in his class and received a bachelor's degree in law. He was also highly educated in politics. His
proposals as

Essay On The Progressive Era
Part I: The United States in Latin America since the Spanish–American War of 1898
American historians commonly refer to the period between the 1890s and the end of the First World
War as the Progressive Era (Cocks, Holloran, & Lessoff, 2009, vii). The Progressive Era is mostly
associated with the presidencies of Republican heads of state Theodore Roosevelt (1901–09) and
William Howard Taft (1909–1913) but also, with Democrat Woodrow Wilson (1913–21). It is
generally remembered as a time of political reforms and of governmental desire to tackle social evils
and inequality.
The Progressive Era also embraced an important foreign policy agenda. Following the U.S. crushing
victory in the Spanish–American War of 1898 under William McKinley, the United States began a
new chapter in its relationship with Latin America. While some would see an inherent contradiction
between Progressive values and the U.S. expansionism that arisen in Latin America (and in the
Pacific), such paradox was not necessarily apparent to Washington. As argued by historian Lester D.
Langley (2002), "despite their profound political differences, Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson agreed that
the government played a powerful role in advancing hemispheric trade and in safeguarding U.S.
investment" (p. xvii). Scientific racism, pre–conceived notions about Latin American and non–
whites countries inferiority and the need to expand American financial enterprises made it easy for
U.S. officials to reconcile ideals about

Woodrow Wilson: The Presidential Election Of 1912
"The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people." – Woodrow Wilson The presidential
election of 1912 was by far the most interesting election in history. It was the 32nd election of the
United States and it was held on November 5, 1912. There were three major parties, the Democratic
Party, the Republican Party, and the newly added Progressive Party. The three people running were,
Woodrow Wilson as a Democrat, Theodore Roosevelt as the Progressive Party runner, and William
Howard Taft as a Republican. The candidates were very competitive and really wanted to be the
President of the United States. However, as we know there is only one winner, and that was very
hard for all the candidates to understand. William Howard Taft ... Show more content on
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Both of the men really wanted to win, but it turned out both of them didn't win. It was Woodrow
Wilson, the democrat who won. Woodrow Wilson was the New Jersey Governor. The people
thought that he was such a fantastic governor of New Jersey that he won the country over. He had
experience in leading and making decisions. Even though Roosevelt also had experience for one
term in the white house, the people wanted someone new; fresh face in the white house. (Mulder 7)
Wilson won by a huge landslide. He won the country over which ensured that he won almost every
state. Wilson took home 42 states, Roosevelt took six, and Taft only took two. This was a very
surprising win similar to the recent election of 2016 with candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald
Trump. Trump won by about 70 electoral votes and Wilson won in a landslide. Both the men won,
but they also experienced a lot of conflict during the elections. In conclusion, the election of 1912
had a new party, interesting candidates, conflict between the two friends, relation to the 2016
election, and a huge landslide from Wilson. For these reasons, the election of 1912 is a very
interesting election.
"Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care." –Theodore

Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson: Progressive Presidents
Progress is not something that comes very quickly. It is a gradual process that takes time, in the
interest of our country and the Progressive Era, more than a decade. The presidents of this time,
Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson, were like chefs developing a recipe for the betterment of the United
States. Every act that was passed, each decision that was made, was a trial or taste–test of the
constantly changing recipe for the country. If something angered citizens or drew criticism, the
president went back to his office, his kitchen, and was ready to make more changes. Where he left
off in the progressive recipe, the next chef took over. He would analyze what had been done,
identified his plan of action, and then set to work by either making ... Show more content on
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William Howard Taft spent the majority of his presidency concerning himself with foreign policy
and proving to be even more progressive than Roosevelt in terms of busting trusts. Taft was very
interested in involving American politics to areas abroad, a foreign policy critics dubbed "dollar
diplomacy". Along with the help of Washington, Taft encouraged Wall Street bankers to invest their
superfluous money into foreign areas of strategic concern to the United States, such as the Far East
and regions critical to the Panama Canal. Their investments would supposedly "strengthen American
defenses and foreign policies, while bringing further prosperity to their homeland– and to
themselves" (683). Taft's "dollar diplomacy", although not coinciding with the domestic
progressivism norm exemplified by Roosevelt, was progressive nonetheless as it replaced the
necessity of the big stick. Not only interested with matters abroad, Taft focused his eyes on the issue
that made his predecessor famous, busting the trusts. In all, Taft brought 90 suits against the trusts
during his four year term, largely outnumbering Roosevelt's 44 suit total in seven and half years.
Taft's most famous and publicized antitrust suit was against the U.S. Steel Corporation. This suit
also brought the most criticism, surprisingly by Taft's "creator", Theodore Roosevelt. Under Taft's
control, trusts were

The Philosophies Of Theodore Roosevelt And William Howard...
When thinking about the numerous, dynamic leaders that America has had over the course of the
nation's history, it can become troublesome to fairly compare these respective heads of state. Though
each American president has unquestionably left their own unique legacy from their time in office,
when comparing leaders from similar times, certain consistencies can present themselves. While the
Presidency is of course beholden to constructs of political normativity subjective to the era they
presided in, by choosing two POTUS' from the same era, we can more adequately synthesize
comparable actions and philosophies between the two. To this end, we will analyze the terms of
Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, cutting through narratives of their tenures to truly
delineate their comparability. Through a comprehensive analysis of these two leaders on the subjects
of foreign policy, we begin to parse out many similarities and differences between these two early
20th century leaders. First, we will look at aspects of Theodore Roosevelt's presidency as they
pertain to issues of foreign policy and diplomacy. Famous for his "cowboy demeanor" and
unwavering bravado, Roosevelt was once quoted talking about his diplomatic philosophy, noting
that one should "speak softly and carry a big stick". (Morrissey) This statement came to typify what
pundits referred to as his "big stick ideology", or a foreign policy founded in political realism, that
operated on the notion of "peaceful"

Eisenhower Compare And Contrast Essay
William Howard Taft / Dwight D. Eisenhower
William Howard Taft and Dwight D. Eisenhower both contributed immensely on the development
of where the United States stands today even though both presidents served the country with
different morals on where the country needs to stand. The purpose of this report is to express the
similarities and differences between William Howard Taft and Dwight D. Eisenhower during the
course of their early life, public service, their presidency, post presidency, and their death and
legacy. William Howard Taft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 15, 1857. William's
mother, Louisa Maria Torrey, and his father, Alphonso Taft, gave birth to William's five siblings.
Many of William's relative predecessors were highly involved in law, including William's father.
Alphonso served as Secretary of War and Attorney General under President Ulysses S. Grant, and
also served as an ambassador to President Chester A. Arthur. Unlike Huck Finn in The ... Show
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During the summer of 1921, Taft accuired his dream of sitting in the Supreme Court. He was
appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court by President Warren G. Harding, becoming the only
president to hold a seat on the Supreme Court (Whitehouse.gov staff 3).
Bradsky 4 William Howard Taft died on March 8, 1930, in Washington D.C. He was the first
president to own a car which inclined him to change the White House stables into garages. He was
the first to take up the Oval Office, which was viable as of October 1909, the first to throw the
ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game, and the first to have a hobby of playing golf. Aside with all
of his "firsts", Taft was the last American president to have facial hair (Biography.com Editors

American Imperialism
At the time of American Imperialism, the world was also having their own kinds of Imperialism.
European powers were taking spheres of influence in China. American policy changed between
Presidents on issues like this. Three important Presidents during this Imperialism era are Theodore
Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. Each of these Presidents supported different
kinds of diplomacies. American Foreign Policy was affected by the three major diplomacies, but the
Big Stick Diplomacy had the biggest effect of Foreign Policy. Big Stick Diplomacy was based on
the African proverb "speak softly and carry a big stick". This diplomacy meant that its interests was
for the defense of the country. Theodore Roosevelt was the man who implemented this ideology into
American Foreign Policy. This diplomacy had the biggest effect on Foreign Policy as it encouraged
Imperialism for the defense of the country. This diplomacy called for the creation of a strong navy to
be a world power. TR made this navy in the form of the Great White Fleet. The Great White Fleet
toured around the world and showed the United States' naval power to discourage war or acts of
aggression against the U.S. This diplomacy was also a deciding factor in the creation of the Panama
Canal. The Panama Canal would help the defense of the country by allowing a much quicker
response of the navy across the oceans and the gave the U.S. power over trade going through the
canal. The Panama Canal needed to be built

William Howard Taft : The President Of The United States
William Howard Taft served one term as the 27th President of the United States from 1909 until
1913. While he is perhaps best known for his plump figure and the embarrassing bathtub incident he
endured while in the White House, Taft is also the only person in United States history to have held
both the offices of President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Prior to securing the
Republican Party's presidential nomination and subsequently winning election in 1908, Taft served
in various judicial and executive roles in the government, including as a judge on the U.S. Sixth
Circuit Court of Appeals, civilian governor of the Philippines, and Secretary of War under President
Theodore Roosevelt. While Taft came into office hoping to pass audacious legislative reform, his
reluctant approach to pushing his agenda through Congress, as well as his below–average political
acumen, significantly hindered his capacity to affect meaningful change throughout his time in
office. Secretary Taft ran in the presidential election of 1908 as President Theodore Roosevelt's
handpicked successor and protector of his legacy. Due to the tremendous popularity and support of
President Roosevelt and because he had significant control and influence over the Republican
National Committee power structure, Taft did not face any legitimate opposition in the primaries,
with the exception of President Roosevelt, who had pledged not to seek reelection despite a
relatively easy path to reelection, given

Theodore Roosevelt And The Progressive Party
In 1912, the Progressive Party formed to support Theodore Roosevelt in his attempt to be elected for
a third presidential term (O 'Toole par. 7, 11). The party was formed after the Republican National
Convention repudiated the nomination of Roosevelt (Bardes, Shelley, and Schmidt 251).
Furthermore, this resulted in Roosevelt splitting the Republican vote between him and William
Howard Taft and gave Democrat Woodrow Wilson an advantage (Bardes, Shelley, and Schmidt).
The Progressive Party took a platform that was new and innovative for the time period in which it
began. To understand the the start of the Progressive Party one must acknowledge its political
platform, the outcome of the presidential election between Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson, and the
outcome and end of the Progressive Party. After failing to receive the nomination, those who
supported Roosevelt had to develop another strategy for his campaign. To run as a third party
member, Roosevelt would continue to require financial support. James Chance, professor of
government and public law at Bard College, claims that, "Roosevelt was assured that he would have
the financial backing he would need . . . when his financial supporters, George Perkins and
millionaire publisher Frank Munsey, met with him . . . At that moment the Progressive Party was
born" (120–121). Following this meeting, all that was left before the Progressive Party would have a
nominee was for Roosevelt to accept. He responded saying, "I shall accept

Why The United States Has Only Two Major Political Parties
Final Exam Essays
Essay Prompt 1: Discuss why the United States has only two major political parties.
The United States government is commonly referred to as a "Duopoly", which means that there are
two established political parties, Democratic and Republic, and that these two parties share the vast
majority of the political power in the country. This is because the United States follows a winner–
takes–all voting system, utilizing a "single–member district plurality". The "single–member district"
portion means that for each geographic area or district, there is only one elected official, and the
"plurality" portion means that in United States elections, the representative or politician who
receives the most number of votes, wins the given election, even if it's less than half the percentage
of votes. According to Duverger's law, a Political Science principle, plurality voting procedures
correlationally support the emergence of only two political parties, in contrast to a multiparty
democracy.
This is largely because there have only been two parties for so long, and these two parties have
made it such a point to make their separation of ideals and beliefs blatant, so the vast majority of the
voters have for the most part picked a definitive "side", so to speak, and have registered as a
member of the corresponding political party, that caters the most to their individual ideals. Because
of this, it has made it very hard for any smaller parties to gain enough support to

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