4. “I believe in power… The biggest [presidential] matters I managed without consultation with anyone, for when a matter is of capital importance, it is well to have it handled by one man only… I don’t think that any harm comes from the concentration of power in one man’s hands.”
After completing his presidency, Roosevelt made this quote justifying swift action by one individual on behalf of the government. Indeed, his quote makes sense, as he was one of the first “imperial” Presidents, who used direct executive action to accomplish his policy goals. His example has paved the way for almost every President since to take the role of an all-knowing executive who favors quick, singular action over republican deliberation.
