Theodore Roosevelt has been recalled as one of our most forceful Presidents. The reason for his reputation of strength rested on his ability to get things done, both domestically and abroad. His policies resulted in a strengthened executive branch.Roosevelt inherited the Presidency after the unfortunate death of President McKinley in 1901. One of his earliest displays of Federal power came in 1902 with the Pennsylvania coal strike. His efforts at negotiation marked the first time that the Federal government stepped in to resolve a labor dispute with the intention to protect all concerned, as opposed to favoring industry over workers and the public good. Although the coal miners failed to receive acceptance of their union, they did receive better pay, and Roosevelt's role as mediator established that workers were just as important as industry. Roosevelt also had a reputation as a "trustbuster" by taking steps to regulate business practices in favor of public welfare. Previously, the Federal government had rarely been involved in business affairs. Roosevelt had the most success with railroad regulation, passing the Hepburn Act of 1906, which increased the powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission to include Federal approval of fixed rates that were "just and reasonable" and requiring railroads to adopt a uniform method of accounting. Before Roosevelt left office, however, he had decided that trusts could be either "good" or "bad", depending not just on size, but also on the effect of the trust on the well-being of the public. In 1911, the Supreme Court validated his point of view by ruling that only unreasonable combinations in restraint of trade should be broken up.Roosevelt also gave strength to the theory that the Federal government had a responsibility to protect the public welfare. Towards this end, he passed the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. Both of these measures marked the beginnings of reform in...
