Top 10 Best US Presidents

Barack Obama had an impressive presidency, chalking up a series of historic wins. The Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” was his greatest legacy. An expansion of Medicaid plus the creation of health insurance marketplaces led to an additional 40 million insured as of 2023. Obama began his presidency in the middle of the Great Recession. He negotiated with Republicans to provide economic stimulus, ending the economic bleeding and sparking a prolonged period of growth. He worked with Congressional Democrats to draft the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. While imperfect, this helped to regulate the financial industry. Under his leadership, the U.S. military eliminated Osama bin Laden. His State Department normalized relations with Cuba and crafted a nuclear agreement with Iran.

John F. Kennedy had a short but memorable presidency before his tragic assassination. His youth and oratory inspired an entire generation of Americans. Kennedy prevented a potential nuclear confrontation by successfully navigating the Cuban Missile Crisis. During this tense standoff with the Soviet Union, the world was brought to the very brink of nuclear war. Kennedy’s advocacy of the civil rights movement helped give his successor the momentum to get civil rights legislation passed. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, an international symbol of America’s commitment to humanitarian aid. His moon shot speech inspired the entire country. Before the decade was out, the U.S. would win the space race against the Soviets, landing on the moon in 1969.

While Lyndon Johnson may have increased US involvement in the Vietnam War, his impressive list of domestic accomplishments warrants his inclusion on this list. His Great Society initiative targeted both economic and racial injustice. He willingly gave up generations of white votes in the south to pass both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The bills transformed America, striking major blows against segregation and voter suppression. He also supported the creation of both Medicare - a government health insurance program for seniors - and Medicaid - a health insurance program for low-income individuals. Johnson started the War on Poverty, launching programs like Head Start, and the Economic Opportunity Act aimed to create jobs and provide job training.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was president during some of the early years of the Cold War. His policy of containment against the Soviet Union helped to maintain balance between the world’s two great superpowers. Though he entered the war in Korea as part of a U.N. police action, he avoided greater conflict. Eisenhower was also president during one of the most prosperous periods in American history, providing a tax base for large infrastructure expansion. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 created the interstate highway system, providing arteries for travel and the free flow of goods. He maintained a balanced budget for 3 of his 8 years and generally experienced low inflation.

Harry Truman's presidency had a rough start: the immensely popular FDR died soon after the start of his fourth term and during the Second World War. Truman took the reins and, for better and worse, ended the war by employing the use of the atomic bomb in Japan. He then launched the Marshall Plan, helping to rebuild Europe and contain communism. The Truman Administration played a central role in the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which helped maintain a prosperous and safe western order, acting as a bulwark against Soviet expansion. Truman fought to protect FDR’s economic legacy and his “Fair Deal” attempted to expand FDR’s social safety net for lower income Americans.

Thomas Jefferson has always been lionized as one of America’s greatest Founding Fathers. In recent years, his more complicated legacy as a slave owner has surged to the fore. Still, even critical historians have to acknowledge Jefferson’s accomplishments. Before the Revolutionary War, Jefferson was responsible for drafting the Declaration of Independence. As President, Jefferson was responsible for the Louisiana Purchase from France, a massive westward expansion of territory. He repealed naturalization laws, allowing for a greater expansion of immigration. He avoided war with Spain, and most importantly petitioned Congress to pass a law prohibiting the importation of slaves.

Teddy Roosevelt, too, is a president with a complicated history with racism, but his progressive reforms can’t be ignored. He fought to regulate an out of control business sector, becoming known as a trust-buster. He also passed some of America’s first consumer protections; the Pure Food and Drug Act regulated food and medicine and paved the way later for the Food and Drug Administration. Roosevelt also believed in conservation, establishing the national parks system. And preserving vast swaths of American wilderness. A fierce advocate of the Spanish-American War and the expansion of America’s presence in the world, Roosevelt still fought for peace where he could. He even earned a Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating an end to the Russo-Japanese War.

George Washington was perhaps a bit reluctant to serve as the country’s first chief executive, but his dignity and integrity set a precedent for most who followed him. Washington established the tradition of having a cabinet of expert advisers. He advocated for religious tolerance and his leadership led to the ratification of the Bill of Rights. His administration created the First Bank of the United States and the U.S. Mint. During his second term, he avoided entering the war between Britain and France. Later, in his famous farewell address, Washington presciently warned against the dangers of foreign entanglements and factionalism. Without Washington’s wise, humble, and measured leadership, American democracy may have ended before it truly began.

Franklin D. Roosevelt faced a wide range of challenges as president. He was first elected in the depths of the Great Depression. His leadership enshrined a series of social welfare programs called the New Deal. Through the Works Progress Administration, he put America to work constructing infrastructure projects all over the country. Social Security provided a financial safety net for the country’s oldest citizens. As Hitler marched through Europe, Roosevelt pushed for the Lend-Lease program to keep America’s allies afloat. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, FDR's steady leadership during World War II was pivotal to preventing the world from falling to fascism. His diplomatic efforts, as well as those by his wife Eleanor, laid the foundations for the eventual creation of the United Nations.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

James Madison (1809-1817)
The Father of the Constitution Defended American Sovereignty & Brokered a Lasting Peace with the British

Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
He Oversaw an Economic Boom & Helped Create a Budget Surplus

John Adams (1797-1801)
Adams Helped Draft the Declaration of Independence & Narrowly Avoided War with France

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
His Fourteen Points Paved the Way for the Treaty of Versailles & the League of Nations

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
His Policies Helped to Win the Cold War & Reduce Nuclear Stockpiles

The presidents of the early 1800s set the conditions that allowed America to splinter apart. They left the mess for Abraham Lincoln, who was soon presiding during a Civil War. Lincoln fought to preserve the Union. His Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 was a pivotal moment in ending the “peculiar institution” of slavery, which was ultimately abolished by the 13th Amendment. Lincoln’s oratory was legendary, and his moral convictions were on full display during his Gettysburg Address. Lincoln also established the first federal income tax, stabilizing the tax base. His two National Banking Acts promoted a stable and uniform currency. His leadership saw America through its most turbulent period, setting the stage for the Reconstruction era.

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