Well if my list of the worst presidents didn't peak anyone's interest then hopefully my list of the 5 best will. I will also include another honorable mention list with some presidents who I liked, but had some major incidents in their presidency that keeps them from quite making the top 5. However every president on this list is a person I admire as being an honorable and decent man(Jackson is excluded of course because of his absolutely brutal treatment of Indians. However I do believe that at least for the people he represented he genuinely cared about them. This does not excuse his actions though). Most of them also followed Article II of the Constitution.
Top 5 Best Presidents. ( in no specific order yet)
-Calvin Coolidge (R)
This president exemplified what a president should be, not just professionally but personally as well. He restored honor and dignity to the office. As his biographer put it "he embodied the spirit and hopes of the middle class, could interpret their longings and express their opinions. That he did represent the genius of the average is the most convincing proof of his strength." Coolidge lowered taxes across the board for all Americans. He also vetoed the proposed McNary-Haugen Farm Relief Bill of 1926, designed to allow the federal government to purchase agricultural surpluses and sell them abroad at lowered prices. Coolidge declared that agriculture must stand "on an independent business basis," and said that "government control cannot be divorced from political control." This man understood economics and that government involvement always leads to central control. Coolidge supported wages and hours legislation, opposed child labor, imposed economic controls during World War I, favored safety measures in factories, and even worker representation on corporate boards. Did he support these measures while president? No, because in the 1920s, such matters were considered the responsibilities of state and local governments. He knew that the use of force was not the correct way to bring about change. He was also very wary of the federal governments power growing and taking over the lives of individuals. His foreign policy was also superb. He was against joining the League of Nations because he viewed that it did not serve the nations interest. While he was not an isolationist, Coolidge was reluctant to enter foreign alliances. He understood that America's foreign policy should be "commerce and trade with all, but alliances with none." His character is exemplary and his policies helped a great many people. This man did not care about a legacy or making a spectacle. His nickname was "Silent Cal" because he believed in action, not rhetoric, and that individuals are better at planning their lives than the government. Americans were "cool with Coolidge" and he returned the favor.
-Grover Cleveland (D)
This presidents character and integrity were also exemplary. His domestic policies included intervening into the Pullman Strike of 1894, to keep the railroads moving. This made him unpopular with labor unions. He was also a fervent supporter of the gold standard; which shows he understood the evils of inflation. He was also a champion of classical liberalism and was steadfast in his beliefs. As one historian said "in Grover Cleveland the greatness lies in typical rather than unusual qualities. He had no endowments that thousands of men do not have. He possessed honesty, courage, firmness, independence, and common sense. But he possessed them to a degree other men do not." He did not reward his friends or allies with political positions. His appointment of positions were based on the merit of the individual and their competency. He was also a huge advocate of lowering tariffs. He understood that tariffs did nothing but protect uncompetitive businesses; and pass the cost on to American consumers. He also vetoed more than any president of his time. In 1887, Cleveland issued his most well-known veto, that of the Texas Seed Bill. After a drought had ruined crops in several Texas counties, the Congress appropriated $10,000 to purchase seed grain for farmers there. Cleveland vetoed the expenditure. In his veto message, he espoused a theory of limited government: "I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution; and I do not believe that the power and duty of the General Government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the public service or benefit. A prevalent tendency to disregard the limited mission of this power and duty should, I think, be steadily resisted, to the end that the lesson should be constantly enforced that, though the people support the Government, the Government should not support the people." He understood that government big enough to give you everything you need is big enough to take away everything you have. His foreign policy is also noteworthy. Cleveland was a committed non-interventionist who had campaigned in opposition to expansion and imperialism. He refused to promote the previous administration's Nicaragua canal treaty, and generally was less of an expansionist in foreign relations. He set a standard of excellence that few presidents have even been able to attempt to reach.
-Warren G Harding (R)
The main plus for president Harding is his excellent handling of the panic of 1921 caused by WWI inflation. He also worked to repeal taxes, and abolished the excess profits tax during WWI. He had serious problems and scandals but he was an all around good president.
-Martin Van Buren (D)
Buren was another president who understood economics. He supported the repeal of tariffs and and was an advocate of free trade. He succeeded in setting up a system of bonds for the national debt. His party was so split that his 1837 proposal for an "Independent Treasury" system did not pass until 1840. It gave the Treasury control of all federal funds and had a legal tender clause that required (by 1843) all payments to be made in legal tender rather than in state bank notes. But the act was repealed in 1841. He understood that only payments in legal tender could fight the evils of inflation and simply printing money or taxing it was not the answer. In a bold step, Van Buren reversed Andrew Jackson's policies and sought for peace at home, as well as abroad. Instead of settling a financial dispute between American citizens and the Mexican government by force, Van Buren wanted to seek a diplomatic solution. Also, in August 1837, Van Buren denied Texas' formal request to join the United States. Van Buren gave a higher priority to sectional harmony than to territorial expansion. He was not a power hungry and land hungry leader who only sought to increase the governments power.
-Thomas Jefferson (DR)
Is it any surprise really? Well to be honest I was torn between putting Jefferson in the Best or the good honorable mention category.I respect Jefferson more for his philosophical and thinking prowess than for his presidency. He did unconstitutionally buy land from France in the Louisiana Purchase. The constitution did not specifically give him the right to do so. But he was one of the most influential Founding Father's and his presidency was one that advocated low taxes, and championed the idea of limited government republicanism. His work on the Declaration of Independence, and his contributions to the Constitution simply can not be overlooked. He had foreign policy victories and blunders. His victory of the Barbary pirates in North Africa showed that America would not be threatened or bullied into paying tribute to thugs. However his Embargo Act against Europe and his expansion of military control hurt the New England colonies economically. He also wanted to ban the slave trade entirely but had to settle with the compromise of 1808. His belief in small government, his writings and actions during the times before and during the War for Independence and his attempt to dismantle the National Bank stand as testaments to his character. Jefferson was by no means perfect; but his effect on American thought and history is so profound that to ignore it would be an ultimate disservice.
Good Honorable Mention Presidents
-Andrew Jackson (D)
Jackson had his problems; big ones. Jacksonian democracy is still screwing us today and pork barrel spending wqs his idea, not to mention the spoils system. I disagree with many aspects of Jacksonian democracy; aka more direct democracy. However as a president he did do many things that I viewed as positives. I am simply rating his presidency directly for what he himself did. What others around him did in his name; or what Jacksonian democracy was done to the country are not aspects I am arguing positivly for. I am simply bringing up the many positives he did while president. He vetoed the bill that would extend the charter of the National Bank and closed the treasury to them. Jackson was the last president to have this country debt free. He was an advocate of the gold standard and relative free trade. He did favor some protective tariffs and some other interventions that I disagree with. He actually fought in the War of 1812 and knew what it meant to lead. So why isn't he in the top 5 best? His absolutely brutal treatment of the Native Americans, his pork barrel spending and his view of democracy and the spoils system. The Trail of Tears is a huge black eye for this president.
-James Monroe (DR)
Monroe was a Democratic Republican who took a more hands off approach to the country. He receives similar praise to Jefferson and Madison for their economic views and their views on decentralized power; over the more highly centralized power of the Federalists. He did not do much, Monrovia was established in Africa as an attempt to send freed slaved back to their country but not much came of it. The fact that he did not meddle that much at all, plus his integrity and character make him a pretty decent president in my ranking.
-George Washington (N/A)
I honestly do not believe people today comprehend how great a man George Washington was. He is always right on that cut of great and good president with me. I just can not seem to be comfortable placing him in either category for a long time. He is probably the most important figure in American history simply due to his charcater and what this man did with his power. Almost all cases in history show that after a civil war, or a war for independence is over the military leader almost always refuses to give up power and tries to seize control. In fact many historians contribute the success of the American War for Independence and the success afterward to Washington voluntarily giving up power. Washington reluctantly ran for president and after his second term voluntarily left office. Washington also deeply distrusted political parties thinking that only conflicts and stagnation can come from them. Sadly he sided with Hamilton over Jefferson on economic affairs and his support of the central bank hurts him in my ranking. Washington also made it a point to stay out of the affairs of Europe. In 1793, the revolutionary government of France sent diplomat Edmond-Charles Genêt, called "Citizen Genêt," to America. Genêt issued letters of marque and reprisal to American ships so they could capture British merchant ships. He attempted to turn popular sentiment towards American involvement in the French war against Britain by creating a network of Democratic-Republican Societies in major cities. Washington rejected this interference in domestic affairs, demanded the French government recall Genêt, and denounced his societies. Under the Jay Treaty Washington also set up trade with Britain and ushered in a decade of prosperity between the two countries. The West Indies colonies were also opened up for American trade. Washington was a great leader and an even greater man, Many politicians praise George Washington without realizing that their actions would bring nothing but embarrassment and disdain from him if he were alive today.
-James Madison (DR)
Madison was a follower of Jefferson and the Democratic Republicans; so he receives similar praise to Jefferson. He was also one of the founders for the new Constitution. Madison also wrote the first 10 Amendments that would become the Bill of Rights. Along with Jefferson he protested the Alien and Sedition Acts. His personal accounts of the Constitutional Convention are some of the only accounts we have about these meetings.His authorship of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, his advocacy of republicanism and his drive to fight corruption are what make him a very able president. However he falls in the end because by 1815, he supported the creation of the second National Bank, a strong military, and a high tariff to protect the new factories opened during the war.
There are other presidents that I like, or dislike but these are the ones that I have the strongest opinions of at this time. Most presidents I can find things I like and do not like about them, but most do not have such a profound impact on me, this country and our history as the ones I have listed the past two entries. I still have a lot of reading to do on the history of our presidents though and this list may eventually change. All of our leaders were influential in their own ways, some more so on a large scale than others. The key, I believe is to look at how their policies affected people; not the letter by their name or the intention of their policy. Character is also important. Which of these men simply held office for the sake of power and which held office not do what they wanted, but held it in order to ensure that the people could do as they wanted.
In summary though the tally is 11 bad presidents and 9 good presidents. Of those 11 bad presidents 5 are Democrats and 6 are Republicans. Of the 9 good presidents 3 are Democrats, 2 are Republicans and 3 Democratic Republicans, can not really be listed as either. I suppose Jefferson, Monroe and Madison could go into the Republican category but they were not really "Republicans." And George Washington did not belong to any political party, another example of how smart this man was. So any claims about a partisan bias on my part towards one party or another I will claim are simply without any merit. I have made it abundantly clear that neither party is worth a damn. Up until around 1896 the Democrats were a good party but as the saying goes; all good things must come to an end.
In Liberty,
Mr. Jefferson
"A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine."
-Thomas Jefferson
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