The desire for power is one of the main drivers for politicians in their elective campaigns. The desire to be the first makes the candidates create more and more inventive reforms which may be offered by people and which may be rather profitable to them. Every new election campaign abounds in different stump speeches of different candidates, which give them information about politicians’ programs. Different candidates have a different vision of this or that reform, but in some cases, these visions coincide. Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden had a different opinions about the social life of the society, some opinions coincided, and following their elective campaigns it is easy to construct the personal opinion about their methods of country ruling.
Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were the opponents, who tried to be elected with different programs. Being the President, Theodore Roosevelt provided such domestic reforms in the American society as anti-monopoly enforcement, regulated the railroads by increasing the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission, and the conservation the natural resources by limitation of some federal lands sale. Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) was the law that forbade using harmful food additives and the creation of the National Monetary Commission were the measures that were provided with the aim to make people’s life better (Klose and Lader 122-126).
Woodrow Wilson’s domestic reforms, during his ruling the country were of the same importance and profitability, which was labeled as “New Freedom”. This program of reforms supposed the lowering of tariff duties, provided some other economical changes, labor legislations, the permission to vote for a woman, and the prohibition to “manufacture, sale, or transport of intoxicating liquors” (Klose and Lader 153). During different years of Wilson’s ruling, different laws were adopted. The Federal Reserve Act (1913) was the measure, which revised the national money and bank systems. The Federal Farm Loan Act (1916) created the Federal Reserve Bank, Clayton Antitrust Act (1914) provided the improvements in the anti-monopoly sphere and Federal Trade Commission (1914) helped to implement fair trade practices (Klose and Lader 151-153).
Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were the representatives of different parties, and the vision of the American economy and politics, which they used in ruling the country, was different as well as the methods of their ruling. That is when Theodore Roosevelt bore mostly on his political skills, Woodrow Wilson was supported mostly by his economical experience. Executive and the federal government were put on the highest level of priority during the ruling of these two presidents and their desires were directed on improvement of the management personnel of the country. Moreover, there were some reforms (mostly in the financial sphere), which coincided from the point to view of the ideas.
Turning to the question of Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s reforms and their progress, it should be mentioned that the main priority for these country leaders among other domestic reforms remains the health care reform. Barack Obama and Joe Biden were committed to providing this reform. Moreover, the new President’s campaign took the health care reform into consideration, as, according to his opinion, “better medical care is often cheaper” (Herszenhorn and Ye par. 34). The health care reform demand could be a result of investigating the foreign experience. There are a lot of opponents of the theory that qualitative medical care may be cheap for the country but Obama is aimed to prove to everybody that it is possible.
The discussion of the problems continues till now and the reform is not finished yet. The high-quality medical care, which is cheap for the country, and other issues, which are related to the problem continue to be the basis for discussion in the government. The biggest part of the government continues to quarrel that the increase of the quality of health care will bring an increase in taxes, government costs, and deficit. The main change which Obama wants to provide is the shift of the family health problems to the shoulders of the government from the family ones. The problem of insurance arises, as there are people who are satisfied with the current position of affairs and do not want to change something.
So, it may be concluded that different Presidents brought their fresh and effective, from their side, ideas about the country reforming. Theodore Roosevelt paid too much attention to the political and social problems of society. Woodrow Wilson was interested in economical improvement. The legislations which were provided during their ruling confirmed their pre-elective programs. Barak Obama has not realized all his ideas but the work under it continues. The health care reform is the main consideration of his attention for today and he continues to put his elective plan into action. The debate around health care reform continues, but Barak Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are sure that the health reform will help to become a more powerful country not only on the local level but also on the international one.
Works Cited
Herszenhorn, David M. and Ye, Katherine Q. Seel. “Live blogging the President’s speech.” The New York Times. 2009.
Klose, Nelson and Lader, Curt. United States history, since 1865. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, 2001.