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Ronald Reagen, because he negotiated with Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to shrink both countries' nuclear arsenals and contributed greatly to the end of the Cold War.
Without a doubt Ronald Reagan. I would vote for him as the best president ever.
Reasons:
1) Lowering taxes and implementing economic policies that served to bring about the greatest era of economic growth in American history, with the lowest unemployment.
2) Solid support for our allies in the international community.
3) His ability to communicate his ideas and ideals to the people, and to onvince the people to follow him. He was a LEADER!
4) He created a new surge of support for conservativism and his ideas of "compassionate conservativism" served to create an entire new generation of "Reagan Conservatives" or "Neo-Cons" as they are commonly called.
5) He reinvigorated the US military after the evisceration (emasculation?) it received from the Carter Administration. In fact, Reagan is, by most accounts, the President most responsible for helping our military recover (financially and in terms of morale) from the fiasco of the Vietnam War.
6) He recognized who the USA's enemies abroad were, and he took action to strengthen our position and weaken the positions of our enemies. He made strategic alliances that strengthened us and that weakened the enemies... for instance, alliances with the UK (Maggie Thatcher) and Rome (Pope John Paul II) and even Afghanistan against the Soviets.
7) He is one of the three people directly responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union: it was Reagan, Thatcher and Pope JP2 that together set the conditions that led to the fall of the Soviet Union.
Any one of these events would have made him a great president. The fact that he was involved in all of them... and many more... makes him the #1 President of the past 50 years in my book.
There are only 3 Presidents in our history who have been as influential as Reagan, in my opinion. Those are Washington, Lincoln and FDR. All three of those Presidents predate the 50-year limit that you put on this question. And I would argue that Reagan is as important to American History or more so than either FDR or Lincoln, and as much so as Washington. That is not to diminish from Washington, Lincoln or FDR. Each of them was a great President and leader. Washington was the father of our country and possibly it's greatest war hero (certainly the greatest to hold the office of President). Lincoln is the man who abolished slavery (and arguably brought about the economic industrialization and revitalization that started with the Cotton Gin). And FDR was possibly our greatest war-time president.
But Reagan stands up there near the top as the Man Who Won the Cold War, who brought about economic prosperity through conservative economic principals, changed the way Presidents communicate with the people and with other nations and brough back the honor and loyalty (squandered by LBJ and Carter) to the American Presidency. So he definitely deserves the top honors, in my opinion.
I think that Dwight Eisenhower was the best President since 1950. His leadership was magnificent. America built a strong post WWII economy under his leadership and legislative initiatives(federal highway system for one); and strong relationships with our foreign neighbors. We stood strong against the Soviet Union; the decision was made to have a cold war, no violence, and defeat Communism without war..which WE DID THOUGH ECONOMICS...the Soviet Union fell naturally of decay in the late 80's. We were truly the Golden Country of all time during that phase of American history and under **excellent leadership**.
The worst President was Ronald Reagan.....he ignored the problem that vast imports of oil presented to our country even after the Saudis tried, under Jimmy Carter, to ruin the American economy by manipulating oil. The Presidents since 1980 all bear guilt for the terrible predicament we are in concerning the middle east and Islam. Jimmy Carter began initiatives for conservation and energy awareness which Reagan swept away....
Note: I was interested in hearing Greenspan's replies to questions about Presidents....he said the two SMARTEST presidents were Nixon and Clinton...and made very convincing arguments. This was on Meet The Press yesterday. Great show!
Dwight D. Eisenhower gets my vote. Eisenhower was the only postwar president who received more positive than negative ratings for his entire time in office.
His first task in office was to call an end to the Korean War. In 1954, Eisenhower refused a request from the French for US intervention to save their troops fighting in Vietnam, at Dien Ben Phu. He felt the US had no business fighting in what he called, "an inhospitable environment." He favored Vietnam to be divided into the North (Communist) and the South (non Communist).
He was a vigorous supporter of the Federal Interstate Highway Program, whose aim was to connect the States through an integrated, contiguous highway program. Finally, Eisenhower decided to introduce Federal troops to implement the Brown vs. Board of Education landmark integration case. This put the Federal government in the forefront of the integration struggle.
He was not a perfect man nor a perfect President. Still better than any who followed him.
Theres only been 2 presidents in my life but from what i know from my parents Ronald was a good president and my dad likes George Bush and from what i know he seems alright.
Since he has been in control, there has been no terrorist attacks. 9/11 happened during the exchange.
he removed a dictator who would have been a threat to america
Since he has been in control, there has been no terrorist attacks. 9/11 happened during the exchange.
George Bush became the President in January of 2001. 9/11 occurred in September of 2001. It was not in any “exchange”. Bush had been the President for about 8 months when the terrorist attacks happened.
I don’t believe anyone can pick Bush or even Clinton for that matter as the greatest or worst President in history because not enough time has passed to properly sit back and reflect on what they have done.
With the exception of escalating American involvement in the Vietnam War, which was lost not due to the additional troops, but because of the rules of engagement, I think Lyndon Baines Johnson was perhaps one of the forgotten, yet more active presidents in the last 50 years. He had a previous long career in the U.S. Congress. After the nation was emotionally torn following President Kennedy's assassination, he then put forth legislation including civil rights laws, Medicare (health care for the elderly), Medicaid (health care for the poor), and aid to education.
Honorable mention: Jimmy Carter for his humanitarian efforts that continued long after his Presidency. Ronald Reagan for his charisma, yet straight forwardness in handling the cold war with the former USSR.
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