Top 5 best US Presidents?

Question

I'd be interested in knowing who everyone thinks is the top 5 best Presidents of the United States. Please list them from 1 - 5 and then give a very brief reason why? I find this exercise to be very very telling about people.

Answer 1

Can't think of any.

I do like the fact the Teddy Roosevelt carried a side arm and frequently walked the streets of Washington DC shooting stray dogs.

Go big Red Go

Answer 2

Theodore Roosevelt
Created the National Park system, conservationist, greatly influenced by A Thayer Mahan and supported the creation of the modern US Navy, Panama Canal,
brokered a peace treaty between Japan and Russia. Published historian.
FDR - initiated the recovery during the depression with a vast array of Federal programs, Leadership during the span of most of WW II, Created the first social safety net with Social Security Admin,
Lincoln - essentially saved the Union and provided leadership during the entire American Civil War.
Washington - Set the standard for what a President is.
Certainly as a major leader and force for the American Revolution, Kept an army together under impossible conditions
Acted with integrity during his time in the office.
Jefferson: In spite of his anti Federalism, and his belief in a small gunboat navy, Jefferson's actions in the LA Purchase alone made him an important president.

Answer 3

Top 5 accomplishments by U.S. presidents .
Attempting to free the slaves--Lincoln
Well thats all I can come up with since the constitution was enacted .
The rest have paid little attention to the founding fathers wishes and have contributed to a litigious society that represses the freedoms all men are born to .
We campaigned against the Indians till 1886 .
We still do not treat people of race as equal .
We still wage war on other nations .
We still support the Rich minority to control the working class .
We tax without representing the people .Taxes pay for sports arenas by paying interest on the bonds issued so that wealthy team owners can profit from lucrative stadium deals .Leave the working man out of these deals and let local business men who will profit from these deals pay for it .
Well I am down on America most of the time because we have forgotten why we separated from England in the first place .

Answer 4

Washington - wouldn't have a country without him
Lincoln - wouldn't have a single country without him
FDR - kept US from being socialist, defeated the Nazis
Jefferson - Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark

gets hard at this point. I'll go with Teddy Roosevelt for #5 based on conservation and trust-busting, and basically establishing that activist government can do good.

Answer 5

Franklin Roosevelt (brought us out of depression and got us through WWII)

Abraham Lincoln (kept country from splitting even though it cost dearly with the war, ended slavery)

Teddy Roosevelt (despite "rough rider" reputation, he was in fact the best diplomat president ever)

Bill Clinton (presided over the largest peacetime economic expansion ever, and was socially progressive)

George Washington (honestly not the best president, but he had the toughest job of all of them -- he had to define what a president does!)

Answer 6

at the same time as I agree consisting of your list, a number of your evaluations are a ways from traditionally precise. James Buchanan, (us of a of america's first gay President) became by no potential the reason behind the Civil conflict. The cultural, political and economic clashes between the North and South were the most important participants. Andrew Johnson (us of a of america's 2d President to preside without earning a intense college degree) pardoned over 13,000 score individuals of the Confederacy...subsequently earning him acclaim as "A son of the South." Johnson vetoed each attempt by using the Freeman's Bureau to more desirable help the newly released ex-slaves. really, he proclaimed "it is a white guy's usa, and by using God, as long as i'm President, this is going to likely be a authorities for white adult males!"

Answer 7

1. George Washington- First president, fought for us and didnt become a tyrant, believed in the cause of the war even though he commanded the power to become king of America.
2. Andrew Jackson- Strengthened federal power in America and entered American into a Jacksonian Era.
3. Abraham Lincoln- saved the union (america) from splitting apart when the confederacy threatened for succession.
4. Bill Clinton- American got out of a large debt and had billions of dollars in surplus after his administration. Stock Market flourished
5. Dwight E. Eisenhower, took it upon himself to unite the entire country through the interstate highway system, which we all use now with ease to travel, thanks to him

Answer 8

1.Lincoln- saved the Union
Tie:
2. Jefferson-most intelligent president. Louisianna Purchase
2.Kennedy-a leader with great vision. I rate him second for what might have been.
3.FDR-kept the country together during it's darkest hours, both economically and strategically.
4.Truman-made very hard decisions that saved many American lives
5.Teddy Roosevelt-another president with great vision. Established national park system, great environmentalist.

Answer 9

1. FDR
2. Abe Lincoln
3. George Washington
4. Jimmy Carter
5. Bill Clinton
The first four had this in common: They lead the USA through very critical times. I realize Carter wasn''t pres for a long time, but a great man!
Clinton - my gut feeling about his qualities - but he didn't have a big enough crisis to show it.
EDIT:
I forgot Wilson. Very unappreciated, but a great president. He would have to replace either Clinton or Carter in my list. I'm not sure which one.

Answer 10

Reagan , Roosevelt, Washington, Lincoln,and Truman

Answer 11

1. FDR - Built the Panama Canal and help assist the country during the Great Depression and led the country through World War II
2.Lincoln - kept the south from seceeding and abolished slavery
3.JFK - started the peace corps and the ban of atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons and he resolved Cuban missle crisis
4.Reagan - improved economic growth and inflation and was very active in improving foreign affairs
5.Jefferson - secured the future of our countryand made the Louisiana Purchase