The President Of The United States - 1342 Words

The President of the United States is often referred to as the most powerful person in the world. This position offers presidents a unique opportunity to reach a large audience and to command its attention. Presidents frequently use this advantage as a â€Å"bully pulpit† to persuade citizens and to vote for favored legislation. Theodore Roosevelt first used the term bully pulpit to describe the way he used the press to prod legislators to accept his policies. Although this tactic was used to strengthen his executive power, it was used for reform and not with malicious or selfish intents. As Jackson Lears wrote in a review of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s â€Å"The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦(Genovese, 55) Just a few weeks after Roosevelt took office, he used the media to spread awareness about New York’s natural resources and the need to conserve them. He urged state leg islatures to protect thousands of forested acres in the Catskills and the Adirondacks. When delivering his speech, he incorporated emotional language to reach and survey his audience as well as the large public who would read it in the newspapers. In his speech, he said, â€Å"When the bluebirds were so nearly destroyed by the severe winter a few seasons ago, the loss was like the loss of an old friend, or at least like the burning down of a familiar and dearly loved house.† (Goodwin, 245) Although he meticulously crafted his words to convince those to whom he spoke, he did not use this method solely for his individual benefit. When Franklin D Roosevelt introduced his New Deal policies, he also used eloquence to stir interest in his programs. With the introduction of radio, Roosevelt’s voice as well as his words helped gain support for the 15 pieces of legislation he eventually persuaded Congress to pass, including the Works Progress Administration, which provided immi grants with jobs and collected their stories as a way to create a new American culture. (Vought, 239) New technology meant this Roosevelt could speak to the public directly, rather than through journalists. He used his broadcast Fireside Chats to