Spanning the Century: Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and the Environment
Author(s)
Sussman, Glen; Daynes, Byron W.
Abstract
In this study, we examine four presidents of the twentieth century who had a recognized attachment to the environment–namely, Theodore Roosevelt (the establishment of a national conservation policy), Franklin Roosevelt (the golden age of conservation), Richard Nixon (the decade of the environment), and Bill Clinton (the greening of a president). Although not equally successful, the two Roosevelts, Nixon, and Clinton, each in their own way, played an important part in advancing environmental interests. They did so using the instruments of presidential power including reaching out to the American public through the media, issuing executive orders and proclamations, signing legislation, and as signatories to regional and international environmental agreements.
