Roosevelt invented the "modern" presidency. He was the first president to proclaim his role as a world leader. He diverted political criticism at home by pointing to U.S. obligations around the world. Roosevelt took the "stewardship" view of the presidency. He interpreted the public interest broadly. And he upset the balance between the presidency and Congress. Peacetime equilibrium between the branches had existed since the founding of the republic. Roosevelt sometimes bullied his adversaries and embarrassed his friends. But he was a very popular president.
Government Leadership
Roosevelt was a strong executive. He was decisive in pursuing his policies. He filled his administration with honest and talented officials. Unfortunately, he often turned them into "yes men." Roosevelt could be an impatient manager. He sometimes overstepped his bounds. But when he did, he usually declared victory and deftly retreated.
Political Leadership
Roosevelt was a charismatic political leader. As the first "celebrity" president, he strengthened the appeal of the Republican Party. But he did not build a strong party organization. After he was out of office, Roosevelt ran against his own party's nominee. The Democrats won the White House.
Civil and Human Rights
Roosevelt was a moderate on civil-rights issues. But he took a more narrow view of human and political rights. He was deeply suspicious of political dissidents. He eagerly stripped them of their First Amendment rights. After a race riot in Texas, he violated the rights of African-American soldiers by denying them an open and fair military hearing. Still, to his credit, Roosevelt's treatment of them was not shaped by racial prejudice. He simply demanded discipline and conformity from nearly everyone but himself.
The Economy, Taxes, Regulation, and International Trade
Roosevelt was a heavy-handed regulator. But he knew how to adjust to modern realities. His economic policies were subtle and intelligent. And he deserves credit for saving capitalism from the abuses of capitalists. His antimonopoly and consumer protection policies cushioned the severity of the free market. With those in place, he suppressed the advocates of radical economy change.
Environmental Protection
Roosevelt was the first "environmental" president. He reserved millions of acres of forest land for public use. He also supported the development of the national parks and public wildlife reserves. Roosevelt sometimes exceeded his authority to implement his conservation policy. But he slowed the pace of unplanned commercial development.
Foreign Affairs
Roosevelt was an "imperialist" president. In his relations with other American countries, he interpreted the Monroe Doctrine very broadly. He did not so much negotiate as make demands. He supported rebellion in Panama. He demanded concessions from Cuba. He collected debts in the Dominican Republic. In other areas of the world, he was somewhat more diplomatic. His intervention in the Russo-Japanese War won him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Global Leadership
Roosevelt defined U.S. national interests broadly. The U.S. sphere of influence was no longer merely the Western Hemisphere. Roosevelt inserted himself into peace negotiations to end the Russo-Japanese War. No other president had ever directly involved the United States in so distant a conflict. By the time Roosevelt left office, U.S. interests spanned the entire globe. Future presidents would follow his example. They would regularly find U.S. national interests to protect in virtually every corner of the world.
Infrastructure Development
Roosevelt supported vast irrigation projects to bring low-cost water to the western states. He fostered their agricultural development. But Roosevelt was never one to think small. His grandest infrastructure development project was the Panama Canal. Its construction advanced U.S. engineering and spurred the growth of world trade.
Labor Rights
Roosevelt was the first president to intervene in labor negotiations. He helped labor win the right to binding arbitration in labor disputes. But Roosevelt did not accomplish his greatest labor goal. Unions failed to win the right to collective bargaining.
Military Preparedness
Of the armed services, Roosevelt cared most about the U.S. Navy. In his era, naval power was a symbol of international prestige. It was also essential to global leadership. Roosevelt built up the U.S. Navy. Then he sent it around the world. Its gleaming new ships announced to the world that the United States was a global power.
National Enrichment
Roosevelt was a leader in the natural resource conservation movement. He fathered public wildlife reserves and the national park system.
The Historical Legacy
Roosevelt was a smart, innovative president. He left a rich legacy. He expanded the U.S. role in the world. He created the modern "celebrity" presidency. He invented federal antimonopoly policy. He initiated the first federal consumer protection legislation. And he devised a national conservation strategy. Roosevelt's foreign-policy legacy is more questionable. He intervened in Panama to secure U.S. rights to build the Panama Canal. The construction of the canal was one of history's great engineering feats. But Roosevelt's policies intensified anti-U.S. feelings in Central and Latin America.
