“We are citizens of the world. The tragedy of our times is that we do not know this.” President Woodrow Wilson was well known for the neutral stance he took at the opening of the First World War. Ironically, today he is viewed as one of the frontrunners in promoting change of foreign policy, and his actions have had a lasting effect on executive power and American identity in the United States.
The change from isolationism to interventionism is vital to the success of the United States’ Government today. Washington, in his farewell address, explicitly stated that the United States should “steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world;” a principle that subsequent presidents complied to. Wilson’s Fourteen Points, which advocated for a more globally active United States, spearheaded a true turning point in the history of American politics--and the relevance of this is indubitably still felt today. Wilson’s fourteenth point was that a “general association of nations” was needed to safeguard civil liberties and promote peace throughout the world through the spread of democracy. Wilson did not get to see this dream become a reality, but the modern United States holds a primary role in the United Nations and has been involved in Iraq …show more content…
In Article II Section 2, the Constitution enumerates only four powers to the executive branch,. Wilson firmly disagreed with this philosophy, believing the president should inform and embody the public will of the nation. He pushed for an increase of the presidential power through direct involvement in the drafting of bills and extensive use of veto power. Wilson strongly believed that the Constitution needed to be applied to the government with an increasingly modern perspective. He also wanted complete jurisdiction over the press and advocated for the United States to join the League of Nations, due to the influence of
The change from isolationism to interventionism is vital to the success of the United States’ Government today. Washington, in his farewell address, explicitly stated that the United States should “steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world;” a principle that subsequent presidents complied to. Wilson’s Fourteen Points, which advocated for a more globally active United States, spearheaded a true turning point in the history of American politics--and the relevance of this is indubitably still felt today. Wilson’s fourteenth point was that a “general association of nations” was needed to safeguard civil liberties and promote peace throughout the world through the spread of democracy. Wilson did not get to see this dream become a reality, but the modern United States holds a primary role in the United Nations and has been involved in Iraq …show more content…
In Article II Section 2, the Constitution enumerates only four powers to the executive branch,. Wilson firmly disagreed with this philosophy, believing the president should inform and embody the public will of the nation. He pushed for an increase of the presidential power through direct involvement in the drafting of bills and extensive use of veto power. Wilson strongly believed that the Constitution needed to be applied to the government with an increasingly modern perspective. He also wanted complete jurisdiction over the press and advocated for the United States to join the League of Nations, due to the influence of