The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt (American Presidency Series)

Theodore Roosevelt was hearty, frank, friendly, and bold-a president so popular that many Americans believed they knew him personally. Through the force of his personality and excitement of his adventuring, he wove the presidency into the fabric of daily life as no other president had done. Nearly a century later he is remembered as our most colorful chief executive. In this comprehensive study, historian Lewis Gould uses primary sources and the most recent scholarship to capture the excitement and controversy of Roosevelt's White House years. Theodore Roosevelt was the first to personalize the modern presidency, Gould argues. He then used his popular appeal to address fundamental, controversial questions: What is the proper role of government in regulating the economy? What is the best relationship between government and the business community? To what extent should the nation pursue a policy of social justice? What are the responsibilities that accompany world power? Gould brings the big picture into focus with his in-depth examination of the successes and failures of Roosevelt's administration and his sure-footed analysis of Roosevelt's influence on national politics.