In the twenty-first century the foreign relations role of the president is a given, but this was not so in the earlier years of our nation's existence. Which president is considered the first to envision his role as that of a world leader and to proactively extend his reach into the foreign policy arena?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Theodore Roosevelt is considered the first president to envision his role as that of a world leader and to proactively extend his reach into the foreign policy arena. He believed in foreign policy expansionism, demonstrated by his famous quote "speak softly and carry a big stick." Roosevelt established the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which asserted the United States' role as a police power in the Western Hemisphere. He also negotiated the end of the Russo-Japanese War and mediated the Treaty of Portsmouth.

In the Twenty-First Century the Foreign Relations Role of the President