I believe he was an ok president, great in ww1, but he created bigger government.

Interesting and complex president, though not perhaps a great one. There's a great portrait in Richard Hofstadter's American Political Tradition that has stuck with me. Really our only professor-president. So much of an idealist that Freud famously diagnosed him as having an obsession with peace that put him completely out of touch with reality (though on second thought being hated by the Mussolini-loving Freud may a point or two in Wilson's favor). Wilson did everything to keep the U.S. out of one of the most ridiculous wars in human history, but eventually assented to entering it, and unfortunately didn't live to construct a better postwar plan for Germany. When Wilson's idealism brought practical benefits, such as introducing the U.S. into the modern world by originating the income tax, he deserved admiration. At other times his idealism was just empty bluster, such as his attacks on monopolies; Taft was actually a more effective trust-buster. There are some very serious demerits on his presidency: his overt racism (he was a big fan of Birth of a Nation) and violations of civil liberties (the Palmer raids, etc). Unthinkable as a national leader today.

He supported segreagation? Then no.

"proponent of segregation" - need I say more?! am sure that I don't

League of Nations was a good idea.

Tried to stay out of the war until the people were ready. But proponent of segregation?! That's pretty f*ed up

Wilson was the first 'Progressive' of the modern stripe to attain the Presidency. His policies laid the foundation upon which the modern Democrat party is standing. Historians are torn between whether he was timelessly great or a tyrant; I say tyrant.

When it came to the Treaty of Versailles I tend to think that if Woodrow had had his way then World War II may not have happened.
I did not agree with everyone disarming, but a lot of the stuff in his points were very good.
And I definitely think his ideas were a lot better than that French idiot Clemenceau...Of course I agreed with Lloyd George the most though as he tended to agree with quite a lot of what Woodrow suggested as well as being a bit more down to earth simultaneously.
I give Woodrow 5 stars: good president.


EDIT: HE DAMN WELL DESERVES TO BE ABOVE THAT WASTE, ULYSSES S GRANT!

Woodrow Wilson is the third most influential president of the USA and all for the bad.

He perpetuated racism by firing all African-American officeholders he could.

His record of meddling and intervention in the Caribbean, Mexico and Latin American causes us problems to this day.

His unnecessary and unwonted intervention in WWI upset the balance of power that had lasted and righted things in Europe for centuries.

His moralistic approach to international policy still persists. His misguided blundering at the Paris Peace Talks settled nothing and even worse, brought us Hitler and WWII, the most devastating historical event ever suffered by the human race.

Even his moralistic campaign to impose his ideas of Anglo-American democratic institutions on those peoples who don't want it or can't use it still persists. (Consider Iraq!)

Wilson was the best!!!!!!!!!!!

He was a racist president. Even my teacher said so.

Originated the income tax. Got us into a war we had no business being in. Gave us the original "guest worker program" with Mexico. Also botched the "peace" after WW1. "Great" president.

In my opinion, the worst president of the 20th century. If only Bush could learn from Wilson's idealism- he thought he go against everything his country believed by spreading democracy around the world. Besides being racist and anti-feminist, Wilson invaded Latin america more than any other president. His violent intervention in Nicaragua was the admitted inspiration of the future Sandanistas.

The most overrated U.S. President of all, a racist, anti-feminist who delighted in imprisoning innocent women, self-righteous control freak who could never lead a nation, and proof positive that political scientists make terrible politicians. He established the failure of a U.S. foreign policy that haunts us to this day.

Unfortunately, many people don't know he was a racist. Extreme even by past standards.

Along with TR- one of the best US Presidents up to FDR- one of our most brilliant thinkers ever to be chief executive (Along with Jefferson and Madison). A true progressive- and the father of the 'modern' Democratic party.

Woodrow Wilson created the United Nations. He was idealistic and intelligent. But because the USA is so conservative and the rich want to stay rich, we rejected the UN. IF the US had joined the UN, we would not have had a WWII.

Wilson should have got the states into WW I much sooner. Perhaps it would not have lasted as long as it did and we would have had better outcome. His failure with the rest of the allies at Versais (SP) is mostly to blame for WW II

This man was brainy, very academic. He was also global minded, which seems to be one of the reasons Nixon used to admire him so much. But while I admire his intelligence, I would have been totally opposed to the League of Nations had I been living back then. And Wilson made the League the centerpiece of his whole presidency and eventually, his whole life. He would not compromise on any of the details, and (fortunately, in my opinion) the whole League of Nations thing failed to materialize. I'm sure that's what destroyed his health before his term of office was over. If he hadn't been so obsessed with that one thing, he would have had a far greater presidency, and could have enjoyed it more.

Some achievements to be sure, but the record of racism is there in black and white. An embarrassment.

Though a Democrat, Wilson was made from the same mold that produced TR and Taft. And Wilson continued the haphazard economic policies set up by TR and Taft. Wilson delayed US involvement in WWI costing Europe hundreds of thousands of young men. He was for a big centralized government and during the war, he seized much of the US economy. His Fourteen Points that he introduced after the war were vague and therefore meaningless. He was a white supremacist and is truly one of the four or five worst presidents in U.S. history.

Woodrow Wilson was a very smart man who led us through the first world war, and deeply beleived in woemens wrights.

the man had his flaws some of which were stated earlier (racist - unable to compromise which led to not joining the league of nations which led to WW2) HOWEVER Wilson was a genuine idealistic president who got things down. During his presidency many progressive ideas were put into law and he really did want world war one to be the war to end all wars

I'm giving him a 3 only because his foreign policies views were good and that he championed the rights of workers. ... But he was a staunch segregationist, a supporter of the KKK and against the women's right to vote.

A racist through and through

Roosevelt should have won!

Very Sad he was a racist President---and perpetuated Jim Crow policies---also very sad his inability to compromise prevented the US from joining League of Nations and thus contributed to WWII.

didn't have an inagural ball b/c it was during war-time. that's class. unlike Bush.

Ran on staying out of the war, then immediately flip-flopped and declared war on German. Just like a Democrat! (FDR, LBJ) Also supported League of Nations!

a racist, who believed he was a man of great quality and that the masses of people must be controlled, father of the private totalitarianism that exists till this day

Income Tax, racist drug laws, Federal reserve,idea of the UN and one world government, seeds of prohibition amendment related to drug prohibition, making the world safe for democracy leading to a policy of interventionism. All this and more causing an explosion in the growth of government and the attendant problems which continues directly to this day.

Wilson not only established the precursor to the United Nation, but alsoestablished important precedents dealing with domestic issues such as taxes, welfare, and a national banking system.

A terrific President!

Another awful expansion of government under the guise of reform president who did more harm than good.

A disaster. Got us into a war that we should have stayed out of and set the groundwork for the next World War by his failures in dealing with France. Also a racist way beyond any excuse that could be made for his time.

Also, overated. Had a heart, but lead us into the worst war in American history.

Economically he was mostly a progressive and he built on the work of Roosevelt. However, the intervention in WWI was likely the worst decision ever made by a U.S. president. Rather than making the world safe for democracy it made it safe for totalitarianism and set the stage for the rise of Hitler and Mussolini. Swayed by business interests, Anglophilia, and the anti-German facet of his wide ranging racism in pushing for war as well as noble and naive motives so often played up. Also, led an attack on constitutional rights, especially that of free speech, and had Eugene Debs jailed.

Come on people...this guy intoduced socialism to our nation.

Coward. Internationalist. Fool. Dupe.

His fourteen points were one of the best documents ever written. It's a shame that only the 14th, the League of Nations, was ratified.

Seems like no one knows that Woodrow Wilson was against women voting and he supported the KKK. Overall, Woodrow Wilson was a big joke.

Excellent president who led America to victory in World War I.

President Wilson had a vision but not the ability to carry it out. One measure of a great man is to imagine great things. The most important, however is his ability to realize his dreams. Germany counted on a fair peace based on his 14 points. Versailles produced a much different product - one which sowed the seeds for another world war.

POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES: Woodrow Wilson led this nation through the first of the two World Wars and prove to be an effective wartime and post-war leader. Wilson was able to keep us out of the war for over four years while still aiding the French and British governments. When the German Empire began attacking merchant ships at sea which carried American sailors, Wilson boldly warned the Germans to halt their attacks on merchant ships. They complied, but in 1917 again began stirring up troubles at sea. Worse, they took advantage of the tensions between Mexico andthe U.S., offering Mexico money and land in exchange for their military involvement in the event of war with the U.S. Wilson had had enough, and Congress declared war on April 4, 1917. What followed was a series of Allied victories which led to the fall of the German government in 1918 and their subsequent call for peace talks. He attended the Paris Peace Conference where a League of Nations proposal and the Treaty of Versailles was drawn up. The Senate rejected both, leading Wilson to, against the advice of his advisors, travel around the country promoting the League of Nations. Although he failed to gain approval for the League of Nations, his ideals were eventually implemented in the United Nations over 20 years later. In addition to his war leadership, Wilson also presided over tariff reductions, and continued the typically Republican policies of trust-busting, signing a strong Anti-Trust Bill which strengthened the Sherman Anti Trust law of 1890. He also created the Federal Reserve System, setting America on the road to economic stability. Wilson proved to be a friend of the working man with his support for the Eight Hour Act, which established the eight-hour workday for railroad workers and other civilians. NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES: It is well known by now that Woodrow Wilson was indeed a racist who typically believed that African Americans were inferior and stood by and allowed states to grant charters to groups such as the KKK. He also was not quick to jump on the 19th Amendment Bandwagon which granted women the right to vote, but he did eventually support the cause. During the war, Wilson supported several sedition and espionage laws which greatly limited freedom of expression, much like Abraham Lincoln had done during the Civil War. Now whether this is positive or negative is for you to judge. However, I find this to be a bit harsh and definately unconstitutional. During the Civil War, the nation was in shambles and fighting a CIVIL WAR, a war among a nation. In order to prevent further divisions, it was necessary to implement such laws. However, in a foreign conflict, I believe that such a blatant denial of the 1st Amendment is wrong. However, without a doubt, what angers me most about him was his actions in regards to Mexico. During the Taft Administration, the government of Mexico had been overthrown and a new dictatorship was instilled. Wilson refused to recognize this government. Months later, several U.S. marines were taken into custody by the Mexican government, but shortly thereafter released. The Marine in charge demanded that the Mexican officials salute the American flag, and they angrily refused. As a result, Wilson ordered the invasion of Mexico for no apparent reason other than to show that he could. FINAL ANALYSIS: Wilson is a difficult man to judge. He was very narrow minded in his thinking. Postive attributes are admirable and negative attributes are loathesome, espescially his racist views. However, he was a true visionary who did prove to do the best job that he could to "make the world safe for democracy". However, with his restrictions on people's basic freedom of speech rights, he failed to protect democracy at home.

The great Progressive. Led us through WWI. Disaster in Paris, but it was for a good cause.

Treatment of T R was ugly.

Was against women voting. Took the wrong stand initially on WWI.

Woodrow Wilson was one of the worst Presidents ever to occupy the White House. President Taft correctly called him a "mulish enigma, a mountain of egotism." Wilson exacerbated relations with Mexico, introduced segregation and other forms of racism into the federal government, needlessly involved the United States in the First World War, and upset the balance of power in Europe, sowing the seeds for discord which led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Other than that, he wasn't bad.

virulent racist...

Wilson was a great visionary in both domestic and foregin affairs. He was largely successfull in his domestiv agenda, he created the federal reserve, cut tariffs and regulated the monoploistic trusts. As a war leader he efficiently led the United States to victory in the great war. The US senate rejection af the Versailles treaty was a disaster for Wilson, who was unwilling to compromise and he suffered a near fatal stroke trying to gain popular support for the treaty, after that he became out of toutch with reality of the political situation, he left office a broken man.

Woodrow's presidency was a fluke. He vainly attempted to create a U.N.-like organization. the only problem being no other country wanted to join. he didnt do anything remarkable.

His plan for the League of Nations should have been acted out. World War II might never have happened. He thought WWI would be the war to end all wars. Unfortuately, it wasn't. The forming of the U.N. is basically what Wilson wanted. If he had lived to see it, he would've been proud.

The father of modern American liberalism. Just wanted to thank you for making it so easy for us realists to prove that liberal idealism does more harm than good. Your 14 points were a disaster paving the way for such problems as the rise of Nazi Germany and the genocide in the Balkins. On top of that you were a stubborn man who could not believe that anyone besides your ivy league self could be right. You were in charge during one of the most pivitol points of the 20th century and you blew it. America needed a leader not a teacher. Where was Henry Cabot Lodge when we needed him?

Wilson was a smart, kind, and peace loving leader who has guided this country through one of the toughest wars in history. He is very much one of the best U.S. Presidents of the 20th century.

Globalist, war-monger, and racist....

Probably the worst president how did he get such a high rating? Fat Cat

Wilson, where were you when WWI broke out - and where were you when it ended?

Wilson was an idealist at heart, but many of the problems of the 20th Century could be traced back to him. His league of nations stripped Germany of all of its pride which eventually lead to the rise of the 3rd Reich. Him remaining in office after suffering a parilizing stroke was an incredible irresponsibility, especially at such a critical time as after World War 1. Like most liberals, his efforts were unrealistic and did not come to be.

ANY PRESIDENT WHO CONDONED THE ACTIONS OF KLANSMEN IN THE MOVIE "BIRTH OF A NATION " IS A "0" TO ME.

At the crossroads of the 20th century stands Woodrow Wilson: under his administration, the US became acclimated to intervening in Europe's wars, WW1 was ended in a way that would sustain communism in Russia and produce Hitler in Germany. We also got the IRS and a central bank that would (later) create the Great Depression. And Wilson was a KKK apologist to boot! As a Princetonian, I'm embarrassed that our university unleashed this elitist onto our systems of governance.