Question

Describe the relationship between Roosevelt and Taft. what did Roosevelt expect of Taft? Did Taft live up to his expectations? Explain why or why not, as well as how Roosevelt responded

Answer 1

President Theodore Roosevelt selected William Howard Taft to be his successor in the political ring. As a result, Roosevelt may have expected Taft to maintain the ability to regulate big business, which Taft did easily with the Mann-Elkins act; he also filed double the number of antitrust lawsuits as his predecessor. Taft's reputation as an easily controlled person counted against him, as his precedent reputation caused many members of the party to believe that they could use him as a puppet- he became a puppet with too many strings. The Payne-Aldritch Tariff of 1909 did indicate a shift in the unity of the Republican Party, however, and by 1912 Roosevelt himself planned to return to the polls and run again as the Republican nominee. Taft was selected instead and so Roosevelt along with his supporters formed a party they called the Progressive Party.