by: Caroline Miller Throughout the ages, the legacies of every president has been debated. So many online articles have been posted ranking the presidents through scores developed by comparing presidents through common categories like unemployment rate, etc. If we want to rank our presidents on job performance what is the appropriate way to rank them? In this blog post I will be sharing my opinion on who the three best and three worst presidents are. Throughout the post I will be comparing my selected presidents through the national debt during their presidency, the unemployment rate during their presidency, and their overall approval ranking. I believe that these are solid categories that reflect how well the president has done their job (the national debt and the unemployment rate) and also what the public thinks about each president (the approval rating). I will also be including a few other pieces of evidence to solidify my argument. The Three Best Presidents of All TimeIn this section I will be giving my opinion on who I believe the three best presidents are. They are in no order. The first best president is Harry Truman. Harry Truman served from 1945-1953, meaning he served two consecutive terms, which in a way shows his popularity as a president. Overall, Truman wrapped up WWII in the best way possible. He made the incredibly tough decision to from the atomic bomb in order to save the lives of many Americans and to end the war. Post-war Germany and Japan were reformed in ways that prevented another conflict in the future, unlike the way WWI was handled. Most importantly, Truman knew to take the threat of communism seriously, just like Winston Churchill did. He started off the Cold War policy, and was willing to support a war in the Korean Peninsula to save the area from devastating communism, which still plagues North Korea to this day. He also recognized Israel, making the United States the first nation to do so. Along with Congress, he controlled fiscal policy in a way which didn't add much to our already massive war debt. A booming economy followed in suit. The following section shows the national debt, unemployment rate, and approval rating of Harry Truman during his presidency.
During Truman's presidency, he had to make the brave decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. This decision was made during the near end of his first year as president. Below is a link to a video of him discussing the decision. The second best president is Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan served from 1981-1989, meaning he served two consecutive terms. Finishing off, mostly, the greatest enemy America ever faced, communism, and unleashing what would become 25+ years of strong economic growth is hard to beat. Reagan was able to work with a Democratic congress to do all he did too, influencing their decisions on many things, like spending money. On top of all his achievements, Reagan has an amazing sense of humor making him relatable to the common man.The following section shows the national debt, unemployment rate, and approval rating of Ronald Reagan during his presidency.
Reagan's Farewell Address and Winthrop's City Upon A Hill SimilaritiesReagan knew this and this speech is his attempt to motivate the base that will lead to the election of the most republicans as possible. The next part of Reagan's address is based on the quote from John Winthrop, who said, "We will be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us, so that if we deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword throughout the world." In essence, Winthrop was saying that America would go downing history as the nation that everyone looks to for help and with admiration. Winthrop was arguing that the Lord would continue to bless our nation and Reagan is agreeing with him. This feeling of being special makes people much more likely to support your mission and help you be successful as a politician. Ronald Reagan was always described as an optimist and his humor was always noted. Both of these qualities peek through during this speech. This sense of light heartedness makes the message being delivered seem less serious and foreboding. Like John F. Kennedy, Reagan was influenced by Winthrop's "City Upon a Hill" The third best president in John F. Kennedy. His first term of service started in 1961 and tragically ended when he died in 1963. John F Kennedy was strong on foreign policy, he cut taxes, he created civil rights, and he was a massive inspiration to the country. He encouraged astronauts to go to the Moon, which is one of the best things America ever did. Here is a quotation on his economic philosophy, “I believe in an America where the free enterprise system flourished for all other systems to see and admire- where no businessman lacks either competition or credit- and where no monopoly, no racketeer, no government bureaucracy can put him out of business that he built with his own initiative.” Most of us have heard of the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the race to the moon. However, Kennedy is most known for his foreign policy more than anything else. After all, he was the president who stood at the Berlin gate and said, “Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’”. The crowd went absolutely wild. West Germans felt his support for their city that had just been divided by the Communists who held East Berlin. On the domestic, we’ve all heard Kennedy’s famous Inaugural speech, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” This powerful speech created the vision that would lead the country out of the 1960 recession, and set up the success for Kennedy’s short presidency. The following section shows the national debt, unemployment rate, and approval rating of John F. Kennedy during his presidency.
The Three Worst Presidents of All Time In this section I will be sharing my opinion on America's three worst presidents. There are in no order. Reconciliation was the first goal set by President Richard M. Nixon. The Nation was painfully divided, with turbulence in the cities and war overseas. During his Presidency, Nixon succeeded in ending American fighting in Viet Nam and improving relations with the U.S.S.R. and China. But the Watergate scandal brought fresh divisions to the country and ultimately led to his resignation. Clearly his scandal and resignation shows his weak character, which is a sign of a bad president. The following section shows the national debt, unemployment rate, and approval rating of John F. Kennedy during his presidency.
Nixon's Watergate ScandalEarly in the morning of June 17, 1972, several burglars were arrested inside the office of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), located in the Watergate building in Washington, D.C. This was no ordinary robbery: The prowlers were connected to President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign, and they had been caught while attempting to wiretap phones and steal secret documents. While historians are not sure whether Nixon knew about the Watergate espionage operation before it happened, he took steps to cover it up afterwards, raising “hush money” for the burglars, trying to stop the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from investigating the crime, destroying evidence and firing uncooperative staff members. In August 1974, after his role in the Watergate conspiracy had finally come to light, the president resigned. His successor, Gerald Ford, immediately pardoned Nixon for all the crimes he “committed or may have committed” while in office. Although Nixon was never prosecuted, the Watergate scandal changed American politics forever, leading many Americans to question their leadership and think more critically about the presidency. Disclaimer: I don't believe Barrack Obama is one of the worst presidents, although I do not believe he was one of the best either. However, according to the data he fits into the category of being one of the worst presidents. My second worst president is Barrack Obama. He was elected in 2008 and is still serving to this day (written: January 13th) and he served two terms. Between Inauguration Day and April 29, 2009, the Obama administration took action on many fronts. Obama coaxed Congress to expand health care insurance for children and provide legal protection for women seeking equal pay. A $787 billion stimulus bill was passed to promote short-term economic growth. Housing and credit markets were put on life support, with a market-based plan to buy U.S. banks' toxic assets. Loans were made to the auto industry, and new regulations were proposed for Wall Street. Obama also cut taxes for working families, small businesses and first-time home buyers. The president also loosened the ban on embryonic stem cell research and moved ahead with a $3.5 trillion budget plan. Over his first 100 days in office, President Obama also undertook a complete overhaul of America's foreign policy. He reached out to improve relations with Europe, China and Russia and to open dialogue with Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. He lobbied allies to support a global economic stimulus package. He committed an additional 21,000 troops to Afghanistan and set an August 2010 date for withdrawal of nearly all U.S. troops from Iraq. In more dramatic incidents, he ordered an attack on pirates off the coast of Somalia and prepared the nation for a swine flu outbreak. He signed an executive order banning excessive interrogation techniques and ordered the closing of the military detention facility at Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay within a year (a deadline that ultimately would not be met). For his efforts, the Nobel Committee in Norway awarded Obama the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The following section shows the national debt, unemployment rate, and approval rating of Barrack Obama during his presidency.
The third worst president is Woodrow Wilson. Wilson (1856-1924), the 28th U.S. president, served in office from 1913 to 1921 and led America through World War I (1914-1918). An advocate for democracy and world peace, Wilson is often ranked by historians as one of the nation’s greatest presidents. Wilson was a college professor, university president and Democratic governor of New Jersey before winning the White House in 1912. Once in office, he pursued an ambitious agenda of progressive reform that included the establishment of the Federal Reserve and Federal Trade Commission. Wilson tried to keep the United States neutral during World War I but ultimately called on Congress to declare war on Germany in 1917. After the war, he helped negotiate a peace treaty that included a plan for the League of Nations. Although the Senate rejected U.S. membership in the League, Wilson received the Nobel Prize for his peacemaking efforts. The following section shows the national debt, unemployment rate, and approval rating of Woodrow Wilson during his presidency.
Just to clarify: of course some of these selections had personal bias, as bias is unavoidable. However, by selecting three categories to compare the presidents helped to further prove my argument and take the focus away from bias.
~Caroline Miller
1 Comment
Coach Curtis
5/25/2017 10:44:41 am
I never got a chance to tell your group how much I appreciate all of your hard work this year. This blog has been awesome all year and I will use it as a model for future classes
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