Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Political scientists have for many years attempted to identify the coherence of Theodore Roosevelt’s thought through his intellectual association with the editors of The New Republic. While Roosevelt was greatly indebted to the advice of many of the journals public intellectuals, the difficulty with developing a coherent understanding of his intellectual influence from this source is that one finds a wide disparity of ideas among the intellectuals who staffed The New Republic. A more promising source for understanding Roosevelt’s intellectual development might better be found in the influence of his college mentor, the famous Columbia University political scientist, John W Burgess. The essence of John Burgess’ thought is best summarized by the following quote from an article he wrote on democratic peace:

It is difficult to see why the most advantageous political system, for the present, would not be a democratic state with an aristocratic government, provided only the aristocracy be that of real merit, and not of artificial qualities. If this be not the real principle of the republican form of government then I must confess that I do not know what its principle is.

For Burgess, democracy could only be sustained by the rule of the superior few. Yet, even the superior few must rise to preeminence among the people on the basis of equality. In Theodore Roosevelt, we observe the attempt to realize in practice what Burgess professed in theory. Like Burgess, Roosevelt hoped to establish the kind of political office that would attract the natural elite but strictly for the well-being of democracy as a whole. This paper will examine the relationship of Burgess’ thought to the political development of Theodore Roosevelt and his influence of the institution of the presidency.