Download or read book William Howard Taft written by Jeffrey Rosen and published by Times Books. This book was released on 2018-03-20 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The only man to serve as president and chief justice, who approached every decision in constitutional terms, defending the Founders’ vision against new populist threats to American democracy William Howard Taft never wanted to be president and yearned instead to serve as chief justice of the United States. But despite his ambivalence about politics, the former federal judge found success in the executive branch as governor of the Philippines and secretary of war, and he won a resounding victory in the presidential election of 1908 as Theodore Roosevelt’s handpicked successor. In this provocative assessment, Jeffrey Rosen reveals Taft’s crucial role in shaping how America balances populism against the rule of law. Taft approached each decision as president by asking whether it comported with the Constitution, seeking to put Roosevelt’s activist executive orders on firm legal grounds. But unlike Roosevelt, who thought the president could do anything the Constitution didn’t forbid, Taft insisted he could do only what the Constitution explicitly allowed. This led to a dramatic breach with Roosevelt in the historic election of 1912, which Taft viewed as a crusade to defend the Constitution against the demagogic populism of Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Nine years later, Taft achieved his lifelong dream when President Warren Harding appointed him chief justice, and during his years on the Court he promoted consensus among the justices and transformed the judiciary into a modern, fully equal branch. Though he had chafed in the White House as a judicial president, he thrived as a presidential chief justice.
Download or read book The William Howard Taft Presidency written by Lewis L. Gould and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2009-10-20 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The only president to later serve as chief justice of the United States, William Howard Taft remarked in the 1920s that "I don't remember that I ever was President." Historians have agreed, and Taft is usually portrayed, when written about at all, as nothing more than a failed chief executive. In this provocative new study, the first treatment of the Taft presidency in four decades, Lewis L. Gould presents a compelling assessment of Taft's accomplishments and setbacks in office. Rich in human interest and fresh analysis of the events of Taft's four years in Washington, Gould's book shows why Taft's presidency is very much worth remembering on its own terms. Gould argues that Taft wanted to be president and had an ambitious agenda when he took power in March 1909. Approaching his duties more as a judge than as a charismatic executive in the mold of Theodore Roosevelt, Taft soon found himself out of step with public opinion. Gould shows how the Payne-Aldrich Tariff and the Ballinger-Pinchot controversy squandered Taft's political capital and prepared the ground for Democratic victories in the elections of 1910 and 1912. His seamless narrative provides innovative treatments of these crucial episodes to make Taft's presidency more understandable than in any previous account. On Canadian Reciprocity, Dollar Diplomacy, and international arbitration, Gould's well-researched work goes beyond earlier stale clichs about Taft's administration to link his tenure to the evolution of the modern presidency. Taft emerges as a hard-working but flawed executive who lacked the excitement of Theodore Roosevelt or the inspiration of Woodrow Wilson. The break with Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 doomed the Taft presidency, and Gould supplies an evenhanded analysis of the erosion of their once warm friendship. At bottom, the two men clashed about the nature of presidential power, and Gould traces with insight how this personal and ideological rupture influenced the future of the Republican party and the course of American politics. In Gould's skilled hands, this neglected presidency again comes alive. Leaving the White House in 1913, Taft wrote that "the people of the United States did not owe me another election." What his presidency deserved is the lively and wise appraisal of his record in office contained in this superb book.
Download or read book The Presidency of William Howard Taft written by Paolo Enrico Coletta and published by . This book was released on 1973 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Analyzes Taft's domestic and foreign policies and the nature and extent of his leadership as president.
Download or read book President Taft is Stuck in the Bath written by Mac Barnett and published by Candlewick Press (MA). This book was released on 2014 with total page 33 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inspired by a true anecdote, this larger-than-life tale of a presidential mishap is brimming with humor and over-the-top illustrations. "Blast!" said Taft. "This could be bad." George Washington crossed the Delaware in the dead of night. Abraham Lincoln saved the Union. And President William Howard Taft, a man of great stature -- well, he got stuck in a bathtub. Now how did he get unstuck? Author Mac Barnett and illustrator Chris Van Dusen bring their full comedic weight to this legendary story, imagining a parade of clueless cabinet members advising the exasperated president, leading up to a hugely satisfying, hilarious finale.
Download or read book William Howard Taft and the First Motoring Presidency 1909 1913 written by Michael L. Bromley and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2007-01-09 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: William Howard Taft declared, "I am sure the automobile coming in as a toy of the wealthier class is going to prove the most useful of them all to all classes, rich and poor." Unlike his predecessors, who made public their disdain for the automobile, Taft saw the automobile industry as a great source of wealth for this country. The first president to acquire a car in office (Congress granted him three automobiles), Taft is responsible for there being a White House garage in 1909. This is a meticulously researched reappraisal of the oft-maligned Taft presidency focusing particularly on his cars, his relationship to the automobile and the role of the automobile in the politics of his day. Appendices provide information on the White House garage and stable, Taft's speech to the Automobile Club of America and a glossary of terms and names.
Download or read book Our Chief Magistrate and His Powers written by William Howard Taft and published by . This book was released on 1916 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book William H Taft written by Michael Benson and published by Twenty-First Century Books. This book was released on 2004-04-01 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A biography of William Howard Taft, the twenty-seventh president of the United States and the only person to serve in both that office and as chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Download or read book William Howard Taft written by Melissa Maupin and published by . This book was released on 2020-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thorough, illustrated biography discussing the childhood, career, family, and term of William Howard Taft, twenty-seventh president of the United States. Includes a table of contents, time line, phonetic glossary, sources for further research, an index, and detailed captions and sidebars to aid in comprehension.
Download or read book Remaking the Presidency written by Peri E. Arnold and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2009-09-03 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a period of American history marked by congressional primacy, presidential passivity, and hostility to governmental action, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson became iconic presidents through activist leadership. Peri Arnold, a leading presidential scholar, goes beyond the biographers to explain what really set Roosevelt apart from his predecessor William McKinley, how Wilson differed from his successor Warren G. Harding, and how we might better understand the forgettable William Howard Taft in between. This is the first comparative study of the three Progressive Era presidents, examining the context in which they served, the evolving institutional role of the presidency, and the personal characteristics of each man. Arnold explains why Roosevelt and Wilson pursued activist roles, how they gained the means for effective leadership in a role that had not previously supported it, and how each of the three negotiated the choppy crosscurrents of changing institutions and politics with entirely different outcomes. Arnold delineates the American political scene at the turn of the twentieth century, one characterized by a weakening of party organizations, the rise of interest groups and print media, and increasing demands for reform. He shows how the Progressive Era presidents marked a transition from the nineteenth century's checks and balances to the twentieth's expansive presidential role, even though demands for executive leadership were at odds with the presidency's means to take independent action. Each of these presidents was uniquely challenged to experiment with the office's new potential for political independence from party and Congress, and Arnold explains how each had to justify their authority for such experimentation. He also shows how their actions were reflected in specific policy case studies: the Northern Trust and naval modernization under Roosevelt, tariff reform and the Pinchot/Ballinger debate over conservation under Taft, and the Federal Reserve and Federal Trade Commission under Wilson. Ultimately, Arnold shows how the period's ferment affected both the presidency and its incumbents and how they in turn affected progressive politics. More important, he helps us better understand two presidents who continue to inspire politicians of differing stripes and relates their leadership styles to the modern development of the presidency.
Download or read book Presidential Leadership at the Crossroads written by Michael J. Korzi and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2022-01-18 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Presidential Leadership at the Crossroads: William Howard Taft and the Modern Presidency, Michael J. Korzi examines Taft’s presidency against the backdrop of early twentieth century politics, placing particular emphasis on Taft’s theory of presidential leadership. Though Taft’s legacy is often overshadowed by those of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, his predecessor and successor, respectively, Taft’s model of presidential leadership was complex and nuanced, forged in a time of changing expectations, at the crossroads between traditional and modern views of what the role of a president should be. This focus on Taft’s leadership adds new dimension to our understandings of the Progressive era and presidential leadership in general. Ultimately, Taft’s leadership represented a middle-ground position, one that faced serious challenges from both conservative as well as radical forces, particularly the latter. While embodying some features of the modern presidency, Taft’s model also represented a partial challenge to, and critique of, modern presidential leadership. Korzi reveals that Taft was considerably more modern in his leadership aspirations than previously thought and that his shift to traditionalism, or conservativism, only emerged with the threat of a third Roosevelt term on the horizon. Presidential Leadership at the Crossroads makes an important contribution to our understanding of presidents and their leadership. Taft’s model is particularly relevant today, given the prominence of the modern presidency and its values and expectations. Taft’s moderate, middle-way position provides a foundation for critiquing the excesses of the modern presidency, while offering a vision for strong, if disciplined, presidential leadership.
Download or read book William Howard Taft 1857 1930 written by William Howard Taft and published by . This book was released on 1970 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book William Howard Taft written by Jane Clark Casey and published by Children's Press(CT). This book was released on 1989 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines the life and career of the lawyer whose relatively unsuccessful presidency was followed by a happy term as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Download or read book William Howard Taft written by Donald F. Anderson and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2019-06-30 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How a dedicated conservative perceived and used the powers of the presidency is here treated with authority, objectivity, and a dash of wit. The personal papers of William Howard Taft cast important new light on his aims and performance as chief executive. Making full use of the papers, Professor Anderson corrects previous studies of Taft that are either uncritical or unduly harsh, and offers instead a balanced and fair assessment. Taking a topical rather than a chronological approach to the Taft years, the author analyzes his accomplishments as party leader, administrator, legislator, leader of public opinion, and diplomat. The history of Taft's presidency, he concludes, illustrates many of the inherent strengths and weaknesses of a system of government that is reliant upon the will of the people for action and ultimate success. Comparing Taft with his eloquent and dynamic predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, Anderson contrasts both their views of presidential power and their political styles. Finally, he places Taft in a larger historical context—as an apostle of constitutional democracy who valued the rule of law more than majority rule.
Download or read book William Howard Taft written by Kieran Doherty and published by Children's Press(CT). This book was released on 2004 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lawyer William Howard Taft was a state judge at 30 years of age and a federal judge at the age of 34. He served as secretary of war to President Theodore Roosevelt, a close friend, then followed Roosevelt to the White House in 1909. Taft took strong action against abuses in big business and encouraged government reform, but he lost the confidence of Republicans who supported Roosevelt and battled with Congress. In 1912, Roosevelt ran against Taft for the presidency, dividing Republicans and helping to elect Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Eight years later, Taft achieved a life-long ambition, becoming Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Book jacket.
Download or read book Recollections of Full Years written by Helen Herron Taft and published by . This book was released on 1914 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book William Howard Taft written by and published by Children's Press(CT). This book was released on 2006-09 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents a biography of William Howard Taft
Download or read book My Dearest Nellie written by Lewis L. Gould and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2011-09-15 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few presidential couples enjoyed a closer relationship in the White House than Will and Nellie Taft. Throughout William Howard Taft's rise in American politics, she had been his most intimate confidant. When circumstances separated them, as when Helen Herron Taft became incapacitated by a stroke and was unable to accompany the president on his storied travels-or was herself on recuperative trips-she pressed him for letters, and he obliged with gossipy correspondence that provides a fascinating account of his presidency at decisive moments in his single term. These 113 letters, all but a few never before published, represent a rare glimpse into the mind of a chief executive speaking candidly about individuals and issues. In them, Taft commented on political issues he encountered and decisions he made-as well as his growing disillusion with Theodore Roosevelt, his unhappiness with Congress, and his struggles with his weight and golf score. Breathing new life into a bygone era in all of its complexity and humanity, they also open a new window on Washington early in the twentieth century-providing Taft's reactions not only to social figures of the Progressive Era but also to the impact of innovations like the automobile and rudimentary air conditioning. Sometimes indiscreet and frustrated with his political prospects, Taft comes through as a man who worked hard at a job for which he was not well suited. Indeed, Taft has been written off as a failed chief executive who was pushed into office by his wife; yet, as he insisted to Nellie, he was a creditable chief executive confronted with a changing political environment. Taft's letters may not warrant calling him a great president, but they reveal a more thoughtful occupant of the White House than scholars have acknowledged. Other than those that Harry Truman wrote to Bess, there is no comparable archive of modern presidential letters to a spouse that equals the letters to "Dearest Nellie" that Will Taft sent. Edited and introduced by a leading historian of the Progressive Era, Taft's letters not only reveal the inner workings of a presidency at decisive moments but also humanize a chief executive to whom history has been less than kind.
