The Influence of Wilsonianism

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Wilson vs. Roosevelt
Wilson, the 28th President of the United States, believed that isolationism and preserving world peace was essential after World War I as it provided a future filled with economic development and sustainability. This was apparent with immigration reforms and tariffs setup on imported goods. On the other hand, Franklin Roosevelt, the second democrat candidate to take office since Wilson, had a different view of foreign politics and despised some of the “Wilsonianism” tendencies developed by the late president as he felt they were detrimental to Americans imminent future. Some may say that Wilson’s legacy was more harmful than prolific providing validation that a president’s decision and plan can hinder the viewpoint Americans collectively generate in critical times.
Before the War, Wilson made it apparent that he wanted the U.S. to remain impartial during the Great War, which Roosevelt could not do in the prelude of World War II. Similarly, Roosevelt made sure he negotiated with European nations before assisting them in war time efforts as he was aware what had happened in preceding years of Wilson. Wilson decided to negotiate after the fact which gave him little leeway on determining conceivable terms and conditions. “He initially was opposed to U.S. involvement in world affairs, to preparedness, to American entry into the Great War, and to participation in the international league. Later he advocated all of these” (Fromkin, 1994). Wilson also made World War I more of a bias only selecting democratic candidates to run military operations and political positions. This would be a devastating blow to Wilson and a learning point that Roosevelt would use to his advantage.
In reference to foreign affairs,...

... middle of paper ...

...ied. Wilson’s approach to these policies was more about self-righteousness and less on principle. Roosevelt was less reserved, but had more fires to extinguish as a result of the Great Depression. Overall, they were both influential presidents that have made their mark in history and will be remembered for years to come.

Works Cited

Chaffin, Greg. "UN Origins Project Series, Part 6: The Things We Fight For." Foreign Policy
In Focus (October 13, 2011): 4. Political Science Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 15, 2014).
Fromkin, David. "What is Wilsonianism?." World Policy Journal 11, no. 1 (Spring94 1994):
100. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed February 15, 2014).
Harvey, Philip. "Learning from the New Deal." Review Of Black Political Economy 39, no. 1
(March 2012): 87-105. Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 16, 2014). P 90

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