42-32:
the worst presidents
32-22:
the let-downs
21-11:
the nearly-greats
Who
was on the panel?
Here we are: these are the ten men selected by a panel of experts at The
Times as America's greatest presidents.
John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and John Adams failed to make the cut, as did
all but one of the presidents to have graced the Oval Office since the
1960s.
We have ploughed through the dross (Bush Jr.), the disappointments (Clinton)
and the contenders (Jackson) but here are the ten greatest ever
Commanders-in-Chief.
10. Woodrow Wilson
1913-21 (Democratic)
Snuck into the top ten despite being unpopular with some of our panel who
felt many of his goals were never realised.
A radical first term included anti-trust legislation, tariff
revision and the creation of the Federal Reserve. Wilson’s reputation,
however, was built on his destruction of America’s cherished
non-interventionist policy in his second term.
He was reluctant to lead the US into the First World War, but was then
instrumental in building a multi-lateral post-war consensus which included
the League of Nations, even if Congress never allowed America to join it.
9. James Polk
1845-49 (Democratic)
Polk was one of the greatest presidential advocates of the idea that expanding
the Union from the Atlantic to the Pacific was “manifest destiny”.
Victory in the war with Mexico allowed the United States to acquire
California, Nevada, and parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and
Wyoming.
"Trounced the Mexicans and dramatically increased the size of the
Union, all in one term." Chris Ayres, Los Angeles correspondent.
8. Ronald Reagan
1981-89 (Republican)
Feted by many of the panel and implicated in the current financial crisis by
others, Reagan's controversial reputation remains but his revolutionary zeal
forced him into the top ten.
He was elected with a clear mandate for radical economic policy to tackle high
inflation and unemployment rates. His tax cutting, budget slashing,
laissez-faire strategy
known as “Reaganomics” became extremely popular as the US
economy recovered.
The former actor’s foreign policy was more divisive and his administration was
attacked for perceived bellicosity as well as embarrassments including the
Iran-Contra affair. But even though he was seen as a hawk when he took
office, Reagan managed to grasp the historic opportunity brought about by
Mikhail Gorbachev's rise to power in the Soviet Union to help bring an end
to the Cold War.
"Revived American self-confidence at its lowest ebb." Gerard
Baker, US editor.
7. Harry Truman
1945-53 (Democratic)
Truman entered the White House after just 82 days as Roosevelt’s Vice
President and with very little foreign experience. He was soon called upon
to make some of the most significant international policy decisions in
American history.
He sanctioned the use of atomic weapons over Japan, signed up to the United
Nations and NATO as well as formulating
the Truman Doctrine, which shaped America’s anti-Communist policy for
decades to come. Industrial disputes, scandals and the alleged harbouring of
Soviet agents diminished Truman’s reputation at home leaving him with a 22
per cent approval rating.
"Prevented a possible Third World War by containing the Soviet Union."
Camilla Cavendish, columnist.
6. Dwight Eisenhower
1953-61 (Republican)
The popular Second World War commander succeeded in bringing his military
might to bear on US domestic reform.
Eisenhower continued most of the existing “new deal” and “fair deal” policies
and introduced some radical reforms of his own. In the face of huge Southern
opposition, he sent federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce
the desegregation of schools as well as ending segregation in the armed
forces. He also created the interstate highway system.
5. Theodore Roosevelt
1901-09 (Republican)
The youngest ever President, Roosevelt, 42, was a progressive Republican and
tried to move the GOP into more radical territory. His “square deal”
policies included greater regulation to protect consumers, attacks on
corporate monopolies and conservationism to safeguard wildlife and the
American wilderness.
In foreign policy, he oversaw a major expansion of the Navy, ordered
the construction of the Panama Canal and won the Nobel Peace Prize for
mediating the Russo-Japanese War.
"Controversially reset America's compass for the 20th century."
Gerard Baker.
4. Thomas Jefferson
1801-09 (Democratic-Republican)
A political philosopher and the principal author of the Declaration of
Independence was narrowly elected as the third President in a disputed
contest settled by the House of Representatives.
A proponent of small government, Jefferson succeeded in reducing the national
debt, as well as the size of the army and navy. However, he almost
doubled the size of the United States after the Louisiana Purchase,
which annexed land now encompassing part of 15 states.
"The cleverest man ever to occupy the presidency." Ben
Macintyre, writer-at-large.
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt
1933-45 (Democratic)
The longest-serving of all the presidents, Roosevelt was in office for more
than a decade until his death. He was re-elected four times during one of
the most tumultuous periods of the 20th century.
His radical, big-government spending programme designed to kick-start the US
economy became global consensus after the Second World War, but it was
widely mistrusted before the conflict. FDR also ended US isolationism by leading
America into battle in Europe.
"FDR is top for me, because he navigated America out of depression and
through the Second World War." Tom Baldwin, Washington Bureau chief
2. George Washington
1789-97 (No party)
Washington led the army that vanquished the British during the American
Revolutionary War before presiding over the drafting of the Constitution.
When it came to elect the first US President he was chosen unanimously by
electors representing the 11 states of the Union.
He was celebrated as the Father of the Nation after expanding
the Union and overseeing the creation of a taxation system, a national
bank and the first Supreme Court judges. His
Farewell Address also became one
of the cornerstones of American democracy but he still missed out on top
spot in our rankings.
"Inspired generalship and making it all possible." Ben
Macintyre
1. Abraham Lincoln
1861-65 (Republican, National Union)
The number one: our panel chose the radical Republican who kept the fledgling
nation alive when it could have collapsed altogether.
The first Republican President, Lincoln led the defeat of the Confederate
states in the American Civil War and freed around four million slaves by issuing
the Emancipation Proclamation. The formal abolition of slavery in the US
was ratified soon after his death.
He succeeded in unifying the nation militarily as well as laying out a moral
imperative for its governance in his Gettysburg address. During the final
days of the civil war he was shot
dead by John Wilkes Booth.
"Fought and won a just war, kept the United States united and created
the ground for a country which could live up to its constitution."
Camilla Cavendish.
"Had the coolest-sounding presidential name of all time." Chris
Ayres.
I think Ronald Wilson Reagan is the number one. He made the Great American Dream work good again. He changed the Western world from Keynesian economics proved to be 100% bankrupt to the healthy monetarian model. Now Keynesian tricks threw the world into mess.
Vladimir, Moscow, Russia
Curious, Polk's invasion of Mexico was as controversial in his time as Bush's invasion of Iraq is in our time. US Grant called the war "wicked." Lincoln was against it. Is the barometer merely success in a war, not matter how unjust? If so, would GW Bush rank higher had he managed the war better?
Philip Ryan, Summit, USA
FDR was the greatest American president. He won WW2 and stopped the depression. He gave us our freedom.
Mr R Smith, North Wales, Wales
Polk is an intriguing figure. He did 4 things in his 4 years, any 1 of which would have been a considerable legacy: re-instituted the Treasury system, removed a very bad tariff regime and annexed 1/3 of what is now U.S. territory with the (questionable) Mex/Amer War and the Oregon Territory treaty.
David, Brooklyn,
James K Polk is the best as he had a great song written about him by They Might Be Giants.
Best educational song ever.
Andy Jackson, Dublin, Ireland
Top 10, unlike the bottom 10, looks reasonable to me. At least if "greatest" means "most important", "with most lasting legacy".
The only change I would have made is Jackson or LBJ instead of Eisenhawer. Ike (like JFK, btw) was a good man, but it's hard to see why he's supposed to be so important.
Mike, Moscow, Russia
On the other hand, Jackson, Polk, Wilson, LBJ, and Reagan are all extremely important in shaping the American state for generations, but the changes they're remembered for are a source of controversy up until now. So, no wonder some people want each of them on the top, and others - in bottom 10.
Mike, Moscow, Russia
Chez is correct. Woodrow Wilson was quite possibly our worst President. He imprisoned people for speaking out against WW1 (Sedition Act); imprisoned people for speaking out in favor of women's suffrage; then instituted the draft when not enough Americans wanted to fight his war.
Brad, Nashville, TN,
If people took a clearer look at how much what we face today is the result of the changes he wreaked, Wilson wouldn't be in the top 50. Even he admitted at the end that he had unwittingly destroyed his own country.
Chez, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Although I'm not American, I would have been very, very surprised if Lincoln had not been ranked No 1. IMHO, not only does he stand head and shoulders above the rest, but is, alongside Gandhi, one of the greatest figures anywhere in the world in the last five centuries.
Anil Suri, Durham, United Kingdom
Chris Ayres applauds Polk for "trouncing the Mexicans "? How about illegally invading and occupying a sovereign nation and then robbing it of one third of its territory? Lincoln called the war against Mexico a deception and Polk "a bewildered, confounded, and miserably perplexed man."
George, La Jolla, United States
People think certain Presidents were good because they lived in their time and voted for them. That isn't good enough to have them higher on the list. I understand that there are professionals who know history better than I, even though I love it to death (ha). Thanks again. Great list.
J_Jammer, Houston, TX, United States
Thank you for the hard work presented in ranking all the Presidents of the United States in some sort of order. I can imagine the fun of arguing how one was better than the other because of this or that.
J_Jammer, Houston, TX, United States
Great series and good results - could you now please do the same for Britain???
Brendan Madley, Hamilton, New Zealand
Wilson in the top 10?? This is the man who's post-war policies can be seen pointing directly towards World War II. I'd put him in the bottom 10 just for that. And I'd put Truman in the nearly greats, not in the top 10.
Sarah, Ottawa, Canada
These may have been the most effective, but I still believe that the greatest man to have been president was Jimmy Carter. It was his goodness that led corrupted minds to sabotage his presidency, but not his legacy.
Steven J. Beto, Cottage Grove, MN, USA