Roosevelt's Progressivism Research Paper

A history research paper on Roosevelt's Progressivism may agree or disagree that he was a progressive. A recent biographer of Theodore Roosevelt, Nathan Miller, has called him the “…first Progressive president…”.  We are entitled to ask, “How progressive was he?”  Your research paper on Roosevelt's Progressivism may answer, “Not very.”

A perusal of Roosevelt’s Inaugural Address of 1905 reveals a certain complacency with respect to the state of the nation and a tendency to look outward, to see the well-being of the Republic in terms of its position in the world.  Mention is made of some of the domestic problems facing the nation, but this mention is couched in a language of vague generalities.  Roosevelt does not speak in terms of specific issues and policies and does not suggest concrete legislative action.  Other history term papers tell of the lack of Roosevelt's Progressivism also.

With respect to foreign policy, there is a certain hint of the progressive spirit in this: “Towards all other nations, large and small…We must show not only in our words, but in our deeds, that we are earnestly desirous…of acting toward them in a spirit of just and generous recognition of all their rights…”.  But this, particularly in the light of Theodore Roosevelt’s jingoist past and his propensity while president to engage in muscle flexing (the White Fleets circumnavigation of the globe), can be dismissed as boilerplate.  Theodore Roosevelt was an imperialist; his views on foreign policy cannot be reconciled with something like Wilson’s “14 Points”, the product of a truly progressive mentality.

It should also be mentioned that Roosevelt’s outward looking mentality, his preoccupation with our “position in the world” was fundamentally out of step with the progressive tendency to focus on domestic affairs, their desire to use government as a tool to ameliorate domestic social problems.

That Theodore Roosevelt was a sincere reformer early in his career cannot be challenged.  Moreover, there can be no doubt that his administrations were successful in bringing about real, substantive reforms and, speaking generally, that during these administrations the government was able to make inroads upon the power of Wall Street. 

Roosevelt's Progressivism Research Papers from Paper Masters

A research paper is an in-depth examination of Roosevelt's Progressivism. More than just an overview of what was learned on Roosevelt's Progressivism, like a term paper is, a research paper contains analysis of a Roosevelt's Progressivism along the lines of theory and relevant published material. Research papers are highly analytical and can often be more than 8 to 10 pages. The key to a good research project is the examination of recently published journal articles and peer-reviewed material on the Roosevelt's Progressivism chosen. Like the name implies, research papers are exactly that, a paper that examines the information that can be found on a particular Roosevelt's Progressivism.