theodore Roosevelt and 1,081 Executive orders
During his presidency Theodore Roosevelt issued 1,081 Executive Orders. Its more than any president before and nearly 10 times that of his predecessor, William McKinley. While many of TR’s Executive orders were administrative there were others that created a greater impact like establishing the National Wildlife System.
He began by creating Pelican Island (Executive Order 1903). It was the 1st National Wildlife Refuge. TR then went on to create an additional 150 protected forests, 18 monuments, 5 national parks and 50 other bird sanctuaries. All in all TR would set aside 235 million acres; 84,000 acres for every day he was in the White House.
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in his 1913 autobiography TR said it had been his duty to use as much power as was available to him to do whatever the nation demanded, unless such action was forbidden by the Constitution. “There was a great clamor I was usurping legislative power. I didn’t usurp power, but I did greatly broaden the use of executive power.”
Roosevelt quickly learned in coming to the resuce of the Dominican Republic to help the financially struggling country pay its tariff and customs obligations, he can do it as president by Executive Order, but if congress doesn't agree and pass the measure there's no funding that will exists after a president has left the office. Executive Powers have to be approved by congress to become law.
Under TR's “Stewardship Principle” he believed, “Unless I can't, I will. Other presidents particularly Taft believed ”Unless I can, I can't."
TR’s bel
ief was ‘Unless I can’t, I will,’ while Taft’s was ‘Unless I can, I can’t.’