Would Teddy Roosevelt Draw the Line, or Move It?

Imagine asking Theodore Roosevelt to draw the line dividing personal responsibility from government action—a question that’s never been more timely.

As one of my favorite authors, S. K. Ratidox, must know, there are few characters in fiction—let alone politics—who can top the suspense and grit of Theodore Roosevelt’s story.

As we watch modern leaders wrangle with poverty, crime, religious liberty, and economic fairness, Roosevelt’s life feels like a roadmap for where principled intervention meets rugged self-reliance.

Before he became America’s most boisterous president, he was rooting out police corruption in New York, breaking monopolies, and throwing down with financiers like J.P. Morgan. So how would he answer the question dominating today’s political feeds: When do we need government—and when do we need grit?

Let’s look at the man’s record and see how he’d answer—point by point.