The Presidental Election held a place in 1912 was the beginning of the argument between two political parties. New Nationalism and New Freedom both desired to lead the country, employing democratic means, but their approaches were entirely distinct. Overall, it seems vital to realize the positions of two political platforms of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson to reach conclusions regarding the methods of resolving similar conflicts in the current political situation.
To begin with, the politicians had different political backgrounds; however, their desire to improve every area of American life. Roosevelt aimed to receive the Republican nomination, which led to his supporters and him forming the Progressive Party of New Nationalism. To be more particular, the politician’s arguments mainly focused on enhancing society’s situation in terms of eradicating children labor and increasing pensions for older people (Roosevelt, p. 25). Besides, he was cparticularabout the need to regulate interstate business and establish a nationwide system for selecting presidential candidates (Roosevelt, p. 14). It seems significant to note that Roosevelt was the first to discuss the suffering of women and encourage its end. In contrast, Wilson advocated three reforms that were strongly related to economic changes in the USA. To be more exact, he proposed the need for reducing the protective tariff, enhancing the banking system, and advancing the antitrust laws (Wilson, p. 47). His idea was that these changes could end the monopolies’ control and provide residents with new freedom (Ambar, para. 6). Moreover, Wilson considered that the government’s members had to be decreased to maintain democracy in the country. Overall, both politicians seemed to take an entirely different approach to form their arguments in the battle.
As a result, different groups of people met both approaches with delight based on their wishes and changes’ preferences. Nevertheless, Roosevelt’s position seems more reasonable and beneficial for me as he set his focus primarily on social improvements, which undoubtedly attracted many residents. The situation in the country required to win the society’s trust at first and only with the people’s support continue improving economic and political concerns of the USA. Therefore, the promises to enhance the well-being of women, children, and older people were crucial for winning this contest between two entirely different political parties. In addition, I consider Theodore Roosevelt’s mention of female suffering a solid argument as it was the topic that had not been addressed in the country before him and the Progressive Party.
The role of the government appears to be a topic that provokes controversial and entirely different opinions from society. Still, Frank Newport (para. 1) believes that most U.S. citizens consider the government to be a significant issue in the modern world. Nevertheless, politicians propose their ideas or suggestions without directly addressing the leadership, which might increase the seriousness of this problem even more as people believe that the political situation may never change for the USA. One thing is sure, residents do not consider the government’s interference in social life as a crucial change (Newport, para. 2). All in all, politicians are more limited to expressing their honest opinions in public, which is the reason for the debates similar to the ones with Roosevelt and Wilson, do not take place nowadays.
To sum up, the debate between the political parties that happened in the 20th century was a notable event as people were offered to choose one of the two completely different sides on the government’s role and changes needed to lead the country. In addition, both Roosevelt and Wilson shared distinct ideas regarding the improvements that might yield benefits for the U.S. residents. Still, due to the politicians’ current limits, it is unlikely that similar arguments might occur to argue the efficiency of the leadership in the country.
Works Cited
Ambar, Saladin. “Woodrow Wilson: Campaigns and Elections.” Miller Center, 2016, Web.
Newport, Frank. “Public Opinion, the Role of Government, and the Candidates.” Gallup.Com, 2021, Web.
Roosevelt, Theodore. “The New Nationalism.” The New Nationalism, New York: The Outlook Company, 1910, pp. 3–34.
Wilson, Woodrow. The New Freedom. Musaicum Books, 2018.