I’ve been working day and night, but I’m finally within striking distance of finishing my thesis. I’m very glad to have put in the work to produce a thesis of which I can be proud, and I think the final paper will be something that makes a noticeable contribution to academic literature on the subject (since let’s be honest, there’s not a surplus of academic literature on Jeopardy! wagering). About a year ago, I started to envision the goals and functions of my Jeopardy! wagering model, so as I complete the final stretch, I’ll be keeping in mind my role models for fulfilling visions – one of whom is none other than Teddy Roosevelt.
As we discussed in class on Wednesday, Roosevelt was a man of big ideas and of big action. He boldly implemented his goals, from the Panama Canal to the Great White Fleet to bird sanctuaries to mediation of foreign conflicts. Some Vice Presidents who have ascended to the presidency upon the death of the elected President take hesitant approaches to advancing policy, as they were not the candidate originally chosen for the position, but Roosevelt suffered none of these insecurities, roaring forward with a Progressive-inspired agenda.
When discussing how politicians today can replicate Roosevelt’s success at achieving his vision, though, we were having difficulty naming opportunities. Particularly, we were comparing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s proposed Green New Deal – certainly a visionary plan, but one that supporters and critics alike consider as unpassable, at least in the short run. As I mentioned in class, I have hesitations about comparing the two. The Constitution gives the executive branch significantly more influence in foreign affairs than domestic, and much of this power, though unregulated, sat untapped until the late 19th century. The Great White Fleet, the Panama Canal, and mediation of the Russo-Japanese War were bold of Roosevelt to enact, but the biggest thing standing in his way from achieving these was a lack of precedent. Looking forward to Kennedy in the mid-1900s, the Space Race could also be considered part of foreign affairs, as it was an integral component of the Cold War.
Domestic legislation, however, has always been difficult to enact. One of Roosevelt’s most memorable and lasting pieces of Progressive legislation, the Pure Food and Drug Act, had been 30 years in the making, and only came to fruition after Upton Sinclair’s publication of The Jungle had shocked the electorate into unified support for the bill. As Will pointed out, Presidents can implement some domestic policy by directing agencies, but completely overhauling the nation’s energy grid and infrastructure takes concerted Congressional action. To find an analogous opportunity for executive vision, I would brainstorm along the lines of worldwide denuclearization, or the entry of all nations into the UN, or global climate resolutions – efforts that are bold but achievable through primarily executive action. Opportunities like these certainly abound in today’s globalized world, and I believe that any president could be remembered as a visionary by choosing a goal within their sphere of influence and pursuing it wholeheartedly.
*PS: I finished!!
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