During this century, who do you think was our greatest president?

Question

Specifically when and what did that president do to make you think that he was the greatest president?

Answer 1

I may fudge a little on my answer, but I'm going to try to suggest some questions of METHOD --things to keep in mind when trying to decide the answer-- which I hope will be helpful even for those who decide quite differently.


First, for those who are reading the question literally, the 21st century began on January 1, 2001, NOT the year 2000. Thus, like it or not, the ONLY possible answer --for either best or worst-- would be George W Bush. Clinton's Presidency ended in the LAST year of the 20th century (last year of a century is 100, 200, etc)

As for the 20th century --and I'll join is assuming that's what you were after -- I would say the top Presidents in terms of effective use of power of the office to accomplish something besides just momentary popularity, for example, and setting aside for now whether they had GOOD policies of longterm benefit, would be (in historical order):

Teddy Roosevelt
FDR
Truman
Eisenhower
Reagan

Though I think there are noteworthy areas of accomplishment for several others, I think you'd have to choose the best from that list.

Now that next step --choosing "the BEST"-- is a lot more complicated, for at least the following reasons:

a) they presided in very different situations, making direct comparisons difficult

b) the judge's political leanings will inevitably affect what he considers GOOD to have done

c) even the BEST administrations have some mixture of failure and foolish missteps (whether in policy or politics....)

d) the history ITSELF is sometimes hard to get straight... what REALLY happened and how well did it work?

Example of several of these -- FDR

a) how do you compare his situation of the Great Depression and World War II with anyone else's??

b) esp. on economic policy -- were these mostly of long-term benefit to the country? what other things could he have done or done sooner?

c) VERY strong in war leadership, and for that matter in encouraging people through his "fireside chats" (quite important in horrid economic situations).... but there is a LOT of evidence that his highly interventionist economic policies for a long time PREVENTED a solid, sustained recovery . (Amity Shlaes's new book *The Forgotten Man* considers this question in detail)

d) related to (c)... there is a great mythology about how FDR "got us out of the Depression"... but if you look at how LONG it took for this all to happen, that is highly questionable

SO. . . I want to give him credit on the foreign front, and acknowledge his political skills, but there remain MAJOR questions about his economic record.

For the past HALF-century (much or all of our lifetimes, and conveniently dodging a full assessment of Truman and Eisenhower!) I'm convinced in the end the most consequential Presidency, AND for good, will be seen as Reagan's.

Main accomplishments -- THROUGH his policies (not just "by dumb luck"): Reversing our slide at standing up against the Soviet Union, and contributing mightily to its downfall (including recognizing that Gorbachev was "someone we can deal with"), and for a major economic turnaround that we benefit from to this day (with only two very minor national recessions in the past 25 years... unprecedented, in fact!)

Another piece of Reagan that has already come to light, through the publication of his OWN notes for his many radio talks, his diaries, etc., is that he himself WAS a thinker, indeed THE driving thinker in his administration. (No one wrote all those talks for him, nor his many EARLY speeches... such as the 1964 speech in support of Goldwater that propelled him to national attention.)

Answer 2

Well, this century has only seen one president, unless you want to count the last few days of Clinton's term. If you meant the 20th Century or presidents in the modern age, Franklin Roosevelt, is without a doubt the greatest president. He came into office in 1933, during the Great Depression, and used sweeping reforms, known as the New Deal, to bring relief to the American people. He led the country through World War II, was strong on foreign policy, and was elected to office four times. His policies helped turn America into the super power it is today.

Answer 3

Definitely Theodore Roosevelt. He was innovative, knew how to get people together and find common ground to start discussing where they could find more common ground. He was the father of conservation, the first to realize that our natural resources were being paved over. He created the national park system and land preserve. When Congress wouldn't let him preserve the Grand Canyon as a national historic park he instead made it a national monument, even though it was not a building. His innovative reasoning was that it fit the description because it had a solid foundation and walls. He was also the first president to fight business monopolies and became known as the "Trust Buster." I believe he won a peace award for helping two countries come to agreement on a peace treaty but I can't recall the specifics. He was well read, wrote several books and had a wonderful sense of humor. He once told his oldest daughter, Alice, who was a bit of a rebel, that he, "Could run the country or run her, but not both at the same time."

Answer 4

The greatest President of the 21st Century? Bill Clinton.

Answer 5

THIS century? The only possibilities then are Bill Clinton (barely) and George W. Bush. If you mean during the 20th century, my choice would be Theodore Roosevelt. Not only a shrewd politician, he was a historian, naturalist and conservationist, established the U.S. as a world power and won the Nobel Peace Prize. It's no mistake that he's depicted on Mount Rushmore.

Answer 6

FDR used to be the fine president of any century. If it weren't for FDR I seriously doubt there would nonetheless be an the united states as we know it. Programs his administration initiated are still in existence and public works developed and/or conserved through the WPA and the CCC are nonetheless serving and/or being loved with the aid of americans at present. He put thousands of people back to work and all these men and boys had been ready to ship allotments to their households to support the persons back home. Furthermore to this he led this nation through WWII and helped Britain stay doable via Lend/rent and different applications when they had been left combating the Germans alone in Europe following the French defeat and previous the Soviet Union entering the war. To me, adequate confident matters can not be mentioned about his intelligence, ingenuity, creativity, and dedication. Watch the procession of his funeral coach and the enormous quantities standing within the streets and along the tracks, all crying and mourning, all races. He was once a exceptional man. Notice: Did Dora Barrett reply the fallacious question right here? Observe to asker: to not be pissy, however "whom" is simplest used as the object of a preposition. You will have to have stated, "Who?"

Answer 7

I have been the greatest President of our Model airplane club. Wait a minute. Did you mean greatest President of the USA?

Answer 8

Another vote for Franklin Roosevelt in the 20th or Bill Clinton in this century...

Answer 9

I take it you are referring to thee 20th century, seeing as we are now in the 21st and only have had 2 presidents, and they won't get classified as great. I would have to say F.D.R., he took our nation out of the great depression with his New Deal programs, tried to keep us out of WW2(though some say he knew of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which is why our aircraft carriers were not in the harbor), and had a no guts, no glory attitude. All the while suffering from polio(that's why he is on the dime, March of dimes).

Answer 10

Franklin D. Roosevelt. he created jobs, created social security, got banks back to trust once again. much much more. but what realy stands out to me is two things.
1 world war II we would have lost to the japanese or germans with out his fierce commitment to winning this war. Truman may have been president at the end of ww II, but it was Roosevelt who saw us through.
2 a quote that will be instilled in me till the day i die. "there is nothing to fear but fear its self."