FDR Tops Rankings Of U.S. Presidents: UK Survey - Reuters

[WillyT]

FDR tops rankings of U.S. presidents: UK survey
LONDON | Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:58am EST

<snip>

(Reuters) - Franklin D. Roosevelt, who steered the U.S. economy through the Great Depression and World War Two, has come out on top of the first survey of presidential performance by UK academics.



The poll was published by the United States Presidency Center (USPC) of the Institute for the Study of Americas on Monday.

Of the 40 presidents included in the survey, Roosevelt, who held office between 1933 and 1945, ranked first in three of the five assessment categories: vision and agenda setting, domestic leadership, and foreign policy.

"It is ... likely that Roosevelt's stock rose because the poll was conducted against the background of the worst economic troubles since the 1930s," said Iwan Morgan, the USPC's director.

George Washington (1789-1797) was placed first in the category for moral authority, while Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) had the legacy with the most positive historical significance.

Recent presidents fared badly compared to the earliest officeholders.

<snip>

Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70G3SS20110117?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

Full Survey Results: http://americas.sas.ac.uk/research/survey/overall.htm

Uh oh... Reagan in the top 10... there will be great wailings, and gnashings of teeth.

:hide:

[WiffenPoof]

1. Well, He Would Be MY First Choice...

Understanding that we live in different times with different challenges, I still believe that we could use another FDR right about now.

-PLA

[yourout]

2. Reagan ahead of Eisenhower......yah right.

[WillyT]

3. At Least They Put George W. At #31 Out Of 40...

Between Rutherford B. Hayes and Chester Aurthur.

:shrug:

And that list was overall, they had four categories for consideration.

Plus... this is the UK... I'm sure Maggie Thatcher would score pretty high too.

:shrug:

:hi:

[WillyT]

4. I Love It... Richard Nixon Dead Last For "Moral Authority"

http://americas.sas.ac.uk/research/survey/moral.htm

:evilgrin:

[Edweird]

5. It's no accident that he was essentially 'president for life'.

[11 Bravo]

6. Woodrow Wilson ahead of Reagan, Bush, and Bush the Lesser? Glenn Beck will be suicidal.

[upi402]

7. Compare Reagan to Lincoln, FDR, Thomas Jefferson

Reagan is deified by the media, yet he did enormous harm to the USA.

[WillyT]

8. Ya Know... I Wonder If They've Ever Done One Of These Lists By "Biggest Impact On The Country"

Because in that case, if you were talking Germany, Hitler might end up as number one.

Not as a positive thing, but as the biggest thing.

Wonder how a US Presidency list would look if that were the criteria.

:shrug:

Onedit: Reagan might be even higher on the list in that case.

:hi:

[upi402]

15. Boy yeah, how could we tally collateral damage and non-reported

suffering caused by neocons? Direct killing vs. indirect killing and attrition from longer term, slowr acting harm.

Still hoping there really IS a hell!

[Arkana]

9. Why the hell is Raygun at #8?

And why is Clinton at #19?

And why is fucking WILSON in the top ten?

[TheMightyFavog]

11. I was going to say Carter finished ahead of Clinton?

Yes, he had a great message, and he told us what we needed to hear rather that what we wanted to hear, but his inability to work with members of his own party should have put him further down, IMHO.

[WillyT]

12. Carter Got #6 In "Moral Authority...

which probably pushed him higher in the "Overall".

Link: http://americas.sas.ac.uk/research/survey/moral.htm

:shrug:

:hi:

[TheMightyFavog]

13. Coming from a UK pesrpective, I would say getting the US involved in WWI.

All the fresh doughboys coming in off the boats was a factor in Kaiser Bill throwing in the towel.

[Bigmack]

10. FDR #1...

And we are running as fast as possible from any of the things he did that worked to improve the economy and improve the life of Americans.

Has anybody in this administration/congress actually read a fucking history book recently?

[LeftishBrit]

14. I agree on FDR - but St Ronnie at 8?

ugh to that one