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William Howard Taft

Definition

William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States (1909-1913) and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States. He is the only person to have held both offices.

Analogy

Think of Taft as a versatile athlete who played two different sports at a professional level. Just like Bo Jackson excelled in both baseball and football, Taft served in two high-ranking positions within U.S. government - President and Chief Justice.

Related terms

Progressive Era: A period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States that spanned from the 1890s to the 1920s, which included Taft's presidency.

Trust-Busting: The government activities aimed at breaking up monopolies and trusts (corporations that control entire industries), an effort heavily associated with Taft's predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, but also continued under Taft.

Dollar Diplomacy: A form of foreign policy promoted by President Taft where he encouraged businesses to invest money in areas of strategic interest to the U.S., particularly in Latin America and East Asia.