Republican Party Vs Progressive Party Analysis

In today 's American political system, voters find themselves confronted with two options. These two options being the ever conflicting platforms of the Democratic and Republican parties. Regardless of an individual voter 's personal views, they don 't have much choice in what happens to their country. Many call this choice of parties “picking from the lesser of two evils,” stating that no choice represents them. Public support of the parties is somewhat forced by lack of choice, clearly shown by the steady decline in voter turnout since the 1960s (DelReal). This unhappiness with the government is also demonstrated by a lack of satisfaction with congress, whose approval has dropped by almost 40% over the last ten years to a mere 28%("Congressional …show more content…
Taft and his rival Woodrow Wilson, the 1912 presidential election was leaning in the favor of the Republicans. This changed when the Republican Party decided to abandon a progressive platform and stick with conservative ideals. The decision prompted Roosevelt drop support for Taft, betraying not only his party but also their close friendship. Instead he chose to leave the Republican Party and form his own Progressive Party, also known as the “Bull-Moose Party” (“The Election”). This divide in the Republican party led to a division of voters, causing both parties to lose the election. Had Roosevelt not split the party, the combined popular votes of Taft 's 23.2% and Roosevelt 's 27.4% would have added up to more than Wilson 's 41.8%, meaning the Republicans would most likely have one the election (Leip). Essentially, Roosevelt helped Wilson win, most likely because he believed that the need for progressive reform was an issue that extended beyond individual political …show more content…
Roosevelt was viewed as an ambitious man who was not afraid to pursue his ideals, leading some to call him mad. This is a stark contrast to Wilson, who was viewed as a more reserved man, highly educated and intelligent (Varchol). Their personalities are represented in their foreign policy, with Wilson seeking to remain a neutral country compared to Roosevelt seeking to make America a dominant world power. This was their most divisive issue, and it would go on to become one of the most important ones due to events following the election. During World War I, Wilson remained firm in his stance that the United States should not involve itself in the conflict, even using the platform of “He Kept Us Out of War” during his reelection campaign. He only was convinced to enter war after repeated German aggression led the American public to favor joining. Had Roosevelt been elected president, it is extremely likely that he wouldn 't have hesitated to drive the U.S. headfirst into war at the first opportunity (Milkis). His prominent roles in the establishment of the Panama Canal and the Spanish-American War represent this involved style of policy. Despite being minor issues during the election, foreign policy became the largest issue just two years later, with great influence on the future of world