Election of 1912 (American History) Research Paper

Election of 1912 (American History) - Research Paper Example n be said to have led to â€Å"the birth of modern American politics† which espoused a pure democracy where the people would be the main decisive factor in decisions made by the Federal Government in social and economic matters. In matters of race relations though, the onus was placed upon local bodies to decide as they wished to. Theodore Roosevelt also championed â€Å"peoples aspiration for social justice† (Sidney M. Milkis, 2002) and for this he was willing to make extreme sacrifice and called upon all leaders to do so. A very important aspect of the election was the direct appeal made by individuals for the post of president. This was made explicit when Roosevelt came to the party convention without an official notification of his nomination, in a break from past traditions, when party nominees stayed away from proceedings, until notified of their candidacy. This was another attempt at doing away with institutions such as political parties, and instead handing over power to the people and creating the concept of direct contact between the leader and people. The greatest departure from tradition was Roosevelt’s proposal to allow public to recall judicial decisions, in the wake of the defense of property rights by a pugnacious judiciary. He called for a referendum on court rulings, both state and federal, handing over power to the people â€Å"to amend their fundamental law so as to adapt it progressively to the changing needs of the people.† (Sidney M. Milkis, 2002) In spite of the elections being a four sided race, the Progressive party led by Roosevelt, in spite of loss at the hustings, created the modern American elections as well as electorate. This is testimony to Roosevelt’s belief in a government where people call the shots although it may not have seemed so at the