Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945)

Prolonged the Great Depression, created a huge bureaucracy, backed Japan into a corner to force them to attack us, got us into WWII when it was remarkably unpopular with the citizens, totally misread Stalin, leading us into the Cold War - other than having a great press agent, did the man do anything that worked out well for us?

FDR's economic policies did NOT end The Great Depression, It was WWII that ended the Depression, people need to realize this. He created a huge government, refused to sign anti-lynching legislation, and sent 120,000 innocent Japanese citizens to concentration camps. But I give him credit for motivating the american people and for having a great WWII policy. He was a good president, but definitely not great like many set him out to be.

FDR was an Unconstitutional President if there ever was one.When the Supreme Court told FDR Social Security and many other New Deal programs were unconstitutional FDR resolved it by apoointing new justices in what is known as the Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937!FDR swindle the citizens into accepting paper bills no longer backed by gold.In 1933 a $20 gold certificate could be redeemed for roughly one troy ounce of gold, and each certificate bore the statement: "This certifies that there have been deposited in the Treasury of the United States Twenty Dollars in Gold Coin payable to the bearer on demand"The Government made two promises in that statement. first the gold is there waiting for you, and second you will get the gold when you demand it.In the month of March 1933 citizens decided to make the government honor it's promises and quickly the citizens found out the Federal Government was LYING, so two days after FDR was inaugurated FDR ordered a "Bank Holiday" closing all the b... Read more

Not good, not bad. At the time, some of what he did might have been needed to reboost the economy, but he went far beyond that and turned the country into a welfare state. Over the next thirty-five years, the USA was almost beaten by a country that suffered the most damage in WWII, the USSR. What had almost come to pass was a direct consequence of Roosevelt's actions. By the late 70's, the USSR's ideology was on equal or even stronger footing with the USA's, as almost all researchers agreed at the time. When Roosevelt's liberalism was finally overturned by Ronald Reagan, it took only a decade to dismantle all the dictatorships that the USSR had set up.

The rapid expansion of government programs that occurred during Roosevelt's term redefined the role of the government in the United States, and Roosevelt's advocacy of government social programs was instrumental in redefining liberalism for coming generations.

He was a politician, but definitely a statesman. I think he really cared about his constituents and how they fared during the depression. While a lot of his programs were President Hoover's ideas, he used them and came up with his own as well. Millions of people went back to work as a result of the work these policies brought them. Along with his wife, Eleanor, he encouraged tolerance and other social changes that are second nature today. FDR along with Winston Churchill was a mighty strength during WWII, leading the Allies to victory. He held the country together when it was falling apart.

Changed America for the better.  Had TREMENDOUS accompishments during his many terms as prez!  A GREAT democrat president!!   Hands down my fav!  I havent been able to say that for a while,  but I give credit where credit is due.

Won World War II and ended the Depression.

One of my three "great" presidents, FDR was a great man by any standard; his persoonal courage in the face of crippling polio, his sunny optimism and great leadership abilities in the face of the Great Depression and World War II, an internationalist in the best sense; there are two or three black marks on his presidency- internment of Japanese citizens, the attempted packing of the Supreme Court, and some might say a socialist bent, but overall I can't imagine any other leader who would have done as well during his time in office.

Terible.

long presidency but did lots despite his disablitiy. did a lot of changes for country.

He brought us out of the depression that the Republicans began with their look the other way while we make money attitude. He united the country, put people back to work and protected us during war. And he inspired the country not creating fear to cover the lies like the current administration.

This is a bad president in my opinion. he should have gave power up. He was a man who loved power. He created a huge government.

He saw us through the Great Depression and most of World War II.  He began Social Security.  His New Deal offered hope and rellief to many.

Well, I wasn't around yet when he was in office, but from what I heard of him, he did a lot of good things, including helping America to get back on its feet through the Great Depression. Carried the weight of running the U.S. while suffering from the crippling disease known as polio. I'd say he was a very well-respected man by Democrats and Republicans alike.

He helped the economy, but socialized it a bit too much.

Created Social Security and got us out of the Depression and kicked some @SS in WWII.

Third greatest president, after Lincoln and Washington. Got this country through monumental obstacles.

The Math: Add points for surviving the Great Depression and defeating Hitler, subtract points for creating currupt bureaucracies, and not confronting him sooner. Gets bonus point for Eleanor.

Saved us from the Depression by creating jobs through domestic infrastructure plans (tunnels, bridges, etc). Our banks are insured now and we have (er, HAD, thank Reagan and Bushs for screwing us out of that now too) Social Security because of things he put into motion. He healed an economically sick nation

He is to the democrats what Ronald Reagan is to Republicans. both came in when the country's economy was in shambles, both brought hope and pride back to the american people. he also was a badass during wartime when he committed, however he held out until american soil was attacked (something the british and french were both bitter about considering they were badly in need of aid). anyways, who cares what other countries think, he did what he believed was right for us, and when he did go to war he kicked ass! his economic policies are considered by todays economists as ineffective and resulted in prolonging the depression (ironically WWII manufacturing brought us out of it), but when so many people are starving he had to try something to help his people. as a republican i hate his social policies, simply because they proved not to work (yet democrats still believe in them) but i HAVE to respect what he was trying to do to help his people. he was truly a great american, and guided us th... Read more

Roosevelt saved American capitalists from a socialist revolution, and yet we still  hear whining and moaning about "Socialist Security", and claims that programs like unemployment insurance "don't work".

Right up there w/other great acronym people. FDR=JTT You know, Jonathan Taylor Thomas (JTT). Rock on!

FDR will forever be disliked by conservative Republicans and liked by mostly everyone else. He was just the man to lead the United States through the Great Depression and World War II. He brought hope to the nation after almost four years of Hoover doing next to nothing to help mitigate the economic nightmare. His domestic program, the New Deal, can only be rivaled by the Great Society for the great it covered. It was spectacular (some historians argue it made the Great Depression last long) and much of it is still in use today through the National Labor Relations Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Social Security, Federal Housing Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and so much more. The only stains on his presidency are the National Recovery Act (NRA) and Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), which equate to socialism. Luckily they were struck down by the conservative Supreme Court under Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes. Roosevelt's response to the laws ... Read more

Helped get America out of the Depression and led America in a good way throughtout WW2.

BY FAR THE BEST.

Led the nation though the Great Depression and WWII also help built the foundations of the UN and NATO.

One of the most brilliant successes as President of the United States. He was a great wartime leader at a time one was desperately needed, who was able to unify the country in a way none of the other  presidents who have presided over the country during a major war were ever able to do.

Many of the things we take for granted as Americans today were not reality before FDR took office. Saw the country through one of the toughest domestic periods in history, as well as one of the hardest international times in history. I referred to JFK as the last great Democratic president, but actually JKF was good while FDR was great.

A paradox: how do you evaluate a guy who was an unprincipled opportunist, yet also had the most brilliant success of any U.S. president, pushing the nation through two of its biggest crises? There's a wonderful old book by Richard Hofstadter -- The American Political Tradition -- with a chapter that makes just this point about FDR, and shows that his experimental, trial-and-error approach represented a genuine innovation at this level of American politics -- particularly in comparison with the previous Democratic president, Wilson. Wilson was undeniably smarter and more principled, yet in many ways a failure, while FDR's willingness to think pragmatically, rather than philosophically or legalistically, produced more successes than failures. That's why he should still rank as one of our very best presidents.

a little overrated, but did a fine job

I won't over-mythologize him, but I cannot give him lower than 3-stars for some decent leadership through some tough times. . .he has his virulent detractors- but FDR always will have the last laugh- he was successful.

What can you say about a man like Franklin D. Roosevelt, an American Icon.  He led us through the Great Depression and the Second World War, definitely in my top 5.

The lying, hero worshiping bordello piano players masquerading as objective historians, but actually fawning hagiographers, are finally dying out! A new breed of objective truth-telling historians are ripping the hide off this frivolous pampered mama's boy and exposing the ugly truth. The longer we look back, the worse he becomes.

One of the greatest Presidents. Not only got the United States through a depression and World War but did it all while battling polio. Some of his "New Deal" programs were so successful they're still being used today. He was loved by most everyone and it's sad he didn't get to see the end of World War II and the Great Depression

In my opinion the greatest democrat, and for those liberals opposed to war, your idol was a big wartime president

He did much for America that benifts us to this day.

FDR was one of the towering figures of the 20th century. He saved the nation from anarchy and collapse during the dark days of the depression. History has shown that FDR was no raging liberal or socialist- but actually moderate, who instigated the needed reforms so that the nations underlying free enterprise system could be preserved. When he took office he basically started no programs other then Hoover had started. But by 1935 with the economy not turning around, he was forced to 'turn left' after being criticized by the far left. He then started social security, the FDIC, and the Security and Exchange Commission, and later taxed corporations and the wealthy to appease the ultral liberals who said he was not doing enough. He was a great war time leader as well- The safeguards many Americans enjoy today where started by FDR

Lion in winter is right. To the extent that he employed socialism, he employed it ironically to save capitalism.

FDR was a common man of uncommon charisma and guile. He handled the partnership between Stalin and Churchill masterfully, and used every means available to rise a nation for an overseas war that we hadn't originally wished to fight. We inacted some of the cornerstone social programs of our society, and he left an impresion on our nation - if only for the time he spent in office.

One of the towering figures of the 20th century and of all time. Began serious reforms of the American system of economics- where would we be today without those reforms? Perhaps in the GW Bush cellar of hell-

Created the New Deal, which was a resounding success; but shot himself in the foot with the Gold Confiscation Act. Yeah, taking our gold, good idea!

Related either by blood or by marriage to 11 former presidents.

I have read lots about this idiot.I am only 40 yrs old.I think that this leftist,brain dead,Commie coddling,Supreme Court packing imbecile is up there with the truly inept and inane presidents of all time.I hear people say that he was the best president of all times.HOW????He did NOT get us out of the depression(in fact I think he prolonged it),he spied on political opponents for no reason,as I said above he illegally packed the Supreme Court.He also started the modern welfare state.WWII?Well,he did a good job there except for the aforementioned games of footsie with Stalin.True,he overcame personal illness(as did I) so I obviously give him credit for that.True,he rallied a nation's mood during 2 bad periods.But the question I ask:Were we better off with this cucumber in the White House?My answer:NO!!!!!

Second only to Lincoln as the worst president we've ever had.

The BEST President we've ever had, hands down. His apt leadership got us through The Great Depression and World War II. He was one of the last truly COMPASSIONATE Presidents as well. America was truly a great nation around that time, but has been going downhill since the ultra right-wing neocons have come into power.

Folks who grew up under FDR in general tend to look back on him with fondness, apparently because he was a charismatic leader who made the American people feel good about their plight and helped unite them under an ostensibly noble cause (WW2). History, I think, will eventually begin to take a dimmer view of the man. Where to begin? The court-packing scheme? His soft spot for "Uncle Joe" Stalin that led to all of Eastern Europe coming under the control of the communist dictator's iron fist? The Japanese-American internment camps? His alphabet soup of New Deal programs that were mostly a miserable failure and did nothing to alleviate the Great Depression? If it weren't for WW2, FDR would most likely be remembered as a failure every bit as much as Herbert Hoover was. A Hamiltonian in the worst sense of the word, FDR created the oppressive federal monolith and the gimme-gimme mindset that exists today. He apparently thought he should be president for life, breaking with the two-term tradi... Read more

the best ever, hands down.

Best president of all time, save Ronald Reagan.

Come on people could we not have a better president besides James Monroe. He created Social Security. United a downtrodded nation. Lead us through WW2. How could u possibly give TR a higher vote than FDR.