Big stick ideology

Big stick ideology (also known as big stick diplomacy and big stick philosophy) was a political approach used by the 26thpresident of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. The terms are derived from an aphorism which Roosevelt often said: "speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far".

The term "big stick" was used by the contemporary American press and modern historians to describe the foreign policy of Roosevelt's administration, which he described as "the exercise of intelligent forethought and of decisive action sufficiently far in advance of any likely crisis".

As practiced by Roosevelt, big stick diplomacy had five components. First, it was essential to possess serious military capability that would force the adversary to pay close attention. At the time that meant a world-class navy. The other qualities were to act justly toward other nations, never to bluff, to strike only when prepared to strike hard, and to be willing to allow the adversary to save face in defeat.