Question

What is the "Big stick policy"

Answer 1

Policy named by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt to describe the assertion of U.S. dominance as a moral imperative. It was taken from an African proverb, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." Roosevelt first used it when he asked Congress for money to increase U.S. naval preparedness to support his diplomatic objectives. The press used the phrase to describe Roosevelt's Latin America policy and his domestic policy of regulating monopolies.

Examples of its use include:

*support for the creation of the nation of Panama in 1903, when Colombia rejected Roosevelt's proposal to build the Panama Canal.
*the Dominican Republic in 1903-1905, when a debt crisis raised the specter of European intervention.
*Cuba in 1906, with an American occupation lasting 28 months