Presidents
William Taft was the president of the United States from 1909 to 1913. Taft was more concerned about administration than legislative agenda-setting. However, he did provide many beneficial legislative changes for America while in office. Such changes include: the Mann-Elkins Act of 1910, the Department of Commerce and Labor being split into two cabinets with Taft's approval, the entry of Arizona and New Mexico as states, the Sixteenth Amendment, the United States Chamber of Commerce, the Publicity Act, and Dollar Diplomacy. The Mann-Elkins Act granted the Interstate Commerce Commission the ability to postpone railroad rate hikes and assign rates. It also increased the ICC's control over telephones, telegraphs, and radios. The Publicity Act required political parties to be responsible for money spent on federal campaigns. The Dollar Diplomacy plan encouraged U.S. banks and businesses to make investments overseas. An admirable aspect of Taft was that he did not believe in stretching Presidential powers. Although criticized by a lot of people, mainly the Progressives, most of the things Taft did while in office were and are commendable.
Woodrow Wilson was the president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. He was nicknamed the "schoolmaster in politics" and is remembered for his idealism. While in office, the Underwood Act, the Federal Reserve Act, and the Federal Farm Loan Act were passed. The Underwood Act lowered tariffs on imported goods for the first time in forty years! The Federal Reserves Act formed a stronger national banking system, and the Federal Farm Loan Act gave helped small farmers to be more competitive with larger businesses. Also, the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth Amendments were passed while Wilson was in office. Woodrow Wilson is probably most famous for his reaction to World War I. Wilson managed to stay out of the war for three years, but, on April 16, 1917, the United States finally declared war on Germany. The Treaty of Versailles was signed, thus ending the war, and the League of Nations was formed, whose purpose was to promote world peace and cooperation. Overall, Woodrow Wilson was an excellent president and an outstanding leader during, and after, World War I. He helped shape this decade, therefore helping shape the United States as we know it.