The Bully Pulpit (book)

The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism is a 2013 non-fiction book written by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The book intertwines the biographies of U.S. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft with the rise of investigative journalism (often referred to as "muckraking") in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The narrative focuses on the complex relationship between Roosevelt and Taft, from their close friendship and Roosevelt's grooming of Taft as his successor, to their eventual bitter political rivalry culminating in the 1912 presidential election.

In addition to exploring the lives and political careers of Roosevelt and Taft, The Bully Pulpit also examines the roles of influential journalists and publishers of the era, such as Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, and Samuel S. McClure, and the impact their muckraking journalism had on shaping public opinion and driving political and social reform. The book highlights how these journalists exposed corruption, injustice, and social ills, contributing to the Progressive Era's push for change.

The book's title, The Bully Pulpit, is derived from Roosevelt's own description of the presidency, which he saw as a "bully pulpit," an exceptional platform from which to advocate for his agenda and shape public discourse.