<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> Big stick ideology, big stick diplomacy, or big stick policy refers to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt's foreign policy: "speak softly and carry a big stick ." Roosevelt described his style of foreign policy as "the exercise of intelligent forethought and of decisive action sufficiently far in advance of any likely crisis ." </P> <P> The idea of negotiating peacefully, simultaneously threatening with the "big stick", or the military, ties in heavily with the idea of Realpolitik, which implies a pursuit of political power that resembles Machiavellian ideals . It is comparable to gunboat diplomacy, as used in international politics by imperial powers . </P>

Define speak softly and carry a big stick