This week's blog post will be short and sweet. In a previous blog, I asked students who they thought would've made a great President that never held the office. This week, I would like to focus on those men that have held the office.
My question to you this week is threefold: "Which President did the best job on domestic issues ? Which President did the best job on foreign policy? Who do you think was the best President overall?" Make sure you state why you feel the way you do. If you aren't sure, then look it up! You must answer all three questions to get full credit for this week's blog. Answers are due no later than Monday, August 24th, 2009.
It's hard to really narrow my answers to just one person because a lot of these men did a great job at leading out country. I think that FDR would have to be one of the best President's overall. He was elected for over two terms and he lead us through the Great Depression. He created Social Security and started the first form of welfare. Bill Clinton would be one of the top for domestic issues. He was our leader when we had the lowest unemployment rate ever, a five trillion dollar deficit paid off, budgets balanced, and minimum wage was raised. Last, I once again would choose Franklin Roosevelt as the president that did the best job at foreign policy. He did numerous things with other countries like the Good Neighbor Act.
ReplyDeleteAS far as domestic policies goes i agree with Kelsey that FDR with his "New Deal", the W.P.A and the P.W.A and the national banking association made great strides out of the depression as well as created homes, schools and stable employment for American citizens.
ReplyDeleteAs far as foriegn policy i believe that Richard Nixon is one of the greatest foriegn policy makers with his settlement with China as well as pulling troops out of vietnam and the peace agreement with vietnam. he also created a more peaceful relationship between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R
Overall I think FDR is "the best" I think the way FDR ran politics within his cabinet was very smart and he seemed to actually care about the American people and made huge efforts to improve the economy.
As much as I would like to say Abraham Lincoln (because he is my favorite president), I would have to agree with Kelsey on this question. When it came to domestic issues, FDR led people through the Great Depression, with a quote, "The only thing to fear is fear itself." It helped people feel more secure. He showed true courage to people after still retaining the title of President while in a wheelchair with Polio. As Kelsey said, he came up with Social Security, also.
ReplyDeleteWhen it came to foreign policies, FDR put a lot of focus on creating some form of a United Nations with Russian because he felt that would create peace among the nations. When the Pearl Harbor attack occured, FDR wasted no time in creating a plan to attack Japan and succeeded.
He led the nation through some of the biggest changes in the history of the United States, and created many programs still around today, such as Social Security. He seemed as if he truly cared about the American people.
-Kristen Rice
P.S. I found this website that graded Obama's foreign policy: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4890
I feel that Theodore Roosevelt did the best on domestic issues. He came up with the Elkins Act of 1903 which ended railroad companies granting discount shipments to certain companies. This was not as effective as he'd like, so he came up with the Hepburn Act which regulated shipping rates on railroads. Because of this act, all companies were paying shipping costs and no special discounts were being offered to certain businesses.Franklin Roosevelt did the best on foreign policies because he took control during the Great Depression, which was a lot of work. The best overall president was Thomas Jefferson because he had strong beliefs and stuck to them and he also wrote the Declaration of Independence.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Kelsey. FDR did a great job to lead our nation through the Great Depression, and of course it would certainly take more than two terms to successfully lead us through one these days; Eventhough no more than two terms are allowed to serve as President. Also, I amagine that it was quite difficult to accomplish such a task as this back then. I also feel the same as Dean about the fact that President Nixon being the best foreignpolicy maker in bringing the troops home from Vietnam; Eventhough there still may be some held captive to this day. Finally, I think the best President overall could only be President Roosevelt, sense he was allowed to serve more than two terms in order to complete his goal successfully. Most of all our Presidents don't have enough time in office to solve the complex issues that we deal with these days. Any unfinished business is usually left for the next President to deal with.
ReplyDelete-Richard Johnson
Bill Clinton is the only President to date that has balanced the budget. As much as I'd like to say FDR or another older President, it was a much different time then and things were much much different. I disagree with President Clinton on as many things as I agree with him on but he did balance the budget; something we will probably NEVER see again. He worked hard to help the "little people" and I respect him for that. As far as foreign policy, that is a tuff one. I think that President Bush Jr. did a great job with foreign policy. In my mind he stopped more attacks on American soil after 9/11. I think that going to war against terrorism was the best thing that this country could have done at that time. Yes we had Pearl Harbor attacks but that was done by another country. This war that he had to get into was against a way of life. The best overall President would have to be George Washington. He was the first, and he set the ground work for modern day Presidents.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that Ronald Reagan did the best job on foreign policy. The Berlin Wall tumbled and the Cold War ended. President Cinton did alot for the country domestically with a balanced budget and things like the Family Medical Leave Act. Overall, and I chose from my lifetime, I personally like Ronald Reagan. I saw the Carter era economy of double digit unemployment and hardships, much like today, turn around due to Reagan's Trickle Down Economics.
ReplyDeleteLooks like President FDR is winning so far! In 1902, FDR's first domestic issue involved a Coal strike with 140, 000 miners in easterm Pennsylvania. He was wanting to send in enought Army troops to calm the riot down without even testing the legality of his descision. He ended up winning the American people's approval for the way he handled the situation.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Ronald Reagan had a great Foreign Policy. He wanted to stop the USSR from growing stronger. In other words he wanted to stop non- Communist countries from becoming Communists. He also was a part of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The SDI was designed to be a national defense network of missiles that could target and destroy any incoming enemy missiles before they reached the United States.
Overall I think FDR was a pretty good President. He was in office for two terms and seemed to get a lot accomplished without leaving anything too dirty behind, such as (The Recession our economy is recovering from) into the hands of a newer president.
I am going to have agree with many of my classmates in saying the FDR did an amazing job as president in regards to domestic issues. During his presidency, many of the social programs that help many Americans today were established. Social Security and Welfare are important programs that keep hundreds of thosands of Americans in need afloat. Many abuse the programs but I would surmise that there are many many more that don't abuse them that do. FDR saw the need for helping those that needed assistance. That, to me, is admirable and have changed the lives of those in need to this day.
ReplyDeleteAs far as foreign affairs go, I find it very hard to chose a president that did the best because several did a fantastic job and shaped our nation today. Because I HAVE to choose one, I am going to pick Ronald Reagan because of his work with stopping the USSR from becoming a Communist powerhouse that could have potentially damaged the United States. He also persuaded other nations to reform from engaging in Communism which not only affected the United States, but saved other nations from being terrorized by corrupt government.
The "Best Overall" president, in my opinion, is George Washington. He set the presadent for presidents after him. While he didn't really want the job, he put his best foot forward and did his best for our nation. To me that is a great quality.
It is hard to determine which president did "best" regarding these issues. I do believe in the case of domestic issues, Bill Clinton did many positive things. He signed the Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act, enacting tougher penalties for parents who dont pay child support. Other accomplishments include the National Homeowner Strategy, a program helping people become homeowners (looking back on that now I'm thinking that may have not been such a great idea with all the foreclosures happening now!).
ReplyDeleteAs far as foreign policy, the Reagan Administration implemented the 'Reagan Doctrine' in support of anti-communism, and positively influenced relations with the Soviet Union.
Over all I am going to have to agree that FDR has been the favorite all around among the people. He served during two major crisis, as well as rapidly expanded government programs. I guess you could say he set the bar for what a President can achieve.
I really don't think there is such a thing as the "best president". As with every president, they all have areas in which they thrive in, but they also have areas in which they aren't very strong in. My favorite president would have to be President Thomas Jefferson becuase without him taking a stand with the Declaration of Independence, who knows where we would be? Okay, I'm sure that eventually somewhere and someway down the line we would be at about the same point that we are know, but it was with his courage that we really became a nation. That's the kind of spirit that I would love to see in a president. A person that would stake everything for the better good of the people. To me, that's really saying something.
ReplyDeleteI would also have to agree with the majority of my classmates about FDR. I think that he was one of the greatest presidents of all time as well. He helped the nation in our time of need and he gave the people something to beleive in again. I guess that's why he was in office so long, I mean I can't imagine, if people didn't seem him as such a great president, why they would keep electing him as president.
For the President with the best foreign policy i would have to come to the conclusion that Harry Truman had the best FP. After FDR he won WWII and he aided countries all over Eastern Europe to prevent communism from taking control over existing governments. He also helped aid the Korean War when North Korea invaded South Korea because of communism. He therefor sent troops to help aid the country so that democratic governments could govern themselves without the fear of communist interventions. By doing so, he was able to protect a democracy and deny the Soviets the ability to set up a satellite government in South Korea like it did in the north.
ReplyDeleteThe President with the best domestic issues in my opinion is a tie between Clinton and Johnson. President Clinton wanted to improve the lives of the American people. To do so, he signed various bills that dealt with medicine, family income, and employment. President Johnson created the medicare program, which provided health services to the elderly, approving federal aid to elementary and secondary education, supplementing the War on Poverty, and creating the Department of Housing and Urban Development. I also agree that President George W. Bush is an ideal candidate for having the best domestic issues during his presidency. He carried our nation through a crisis that no other President has had to face.
Overall I feel the best President would have to be FDR. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" -FDR Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the American people regain faith in themselves. He brought hope as he promised prompt, vigorous action, and asserted in his Inaugural Address. Assuming the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression, FDR helped Americans by stepping out of difficult times by creating stable employment and Social Security for American citizens. Not only did he help America regain strength but he also felt that the future peace of the world would depend upon relations between the United States and Russia, he devoted much thought to the planning of a United Nations, in which, he hoped, international difficulties could be settled.
Alicia Jacobs
I believe that Theodore Roosevelt was one of the Presidents who had the best domestic policy. He was one of the most visible progressives of his time. Many of his policies involved fighting big industry and corruption to help the common man. He also wanted to improve the American standard of living.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Franklin D. Roosevelt was one of the Presidents who had the best foreign policy. Not only during his Presidency was he battling the American Great Depression, but 65 other nations in the Worldwide Depression. FDR followed a "Good Neighbor" policy. He supported friendly policies and decreased aggressions towards other countries.
I would say the best president overall would be George Washington. He was "The Father of Our Country." He was the first President of the United States, elected unanimously and set the standards for Presidents to come. For nearly 20 years he helped shape the birth of a nation, served as the Commander of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, as president of the convention that wrote the US Constitution. After being elected as president transformed the 'plan' of the Constitution into 'working'.
Domestic Issues: There are 3 that come to mind: FDR, Reagan and Obama. There are many things that all of these men did for the country. FDR employed the New Deal which did not fix the economy got people working again. Reagan used the Trickle Down Economic idea and fixed the coutries problems( Clinton did a good job too) and Obama who has elaborated on all of these previous men's ideas. I can not say that one is better than the other but if I were to choose I would pick Obama. Mostly for the reason that I agree with almost all of his policies plus he is the first president in my life time that spoke to the younger generation.Since Obama took office he has proceeded with getting the economy back on its feet and also establishing a stronger diplomatic tie with the world as part of his recovery package.
ReplyDeleteForeign Policy: Thomas Jefferson and JFK. What more do I have to say. Thomas Jefferson established ties back to Europe and helped create the Manifest Destiny of the United States of America. He also really helped set the diplomatic policy of America.
JFK also helped begin the end of the cold war. He handled the standoffs, and frustrations of the cold war with an extremely cool and collected way. Regardless of the stress that he incurred and his eventual death. I would say that he was one of the most influential presidents we have ever had.
The greatest president ever......is undecided. Until the world ends or whatever the end of the United States will be. If we are considering the Presidents that we have had until now then I believe that there is one in paticular one that stands out. JFK is that president. Also known as the "what if" president, his policy and handling of the situations that were posed to him were outstanding. The image of Camelot is still one that Americans seek today and if JFK could have finished his term(s) I believe that we could have had a better America. I believe that if the Kennedy dynasty could have been established we would have never incurred the problems that we have.
Overall, FDR would be my pick for best president. He did an all around great job. My choice for domestic issues would be Thomas Jefferson.He is a founding father of our country. He wrote the Declaration of Independence. On Foreign Policy I think I'll have to go with Kennedy. Even though he's kind of known for the Bay of Pigs, he still did a lot other than that. I mean he dealt a lot with Russia and Berlin. Moreso than necessary I think.
ReplyDelete-Heather R. Davis
I think that the best President for domestic issues has to be franklin D. Roosevelt. He used all his powers and created policies that are still used today and proved great foresight.I also think that he was the best in foreign policies as well because of his understanding and appreciation of the world.I think he tried to do what was best for everyone like with his "Good Neighbor Policy" even though it was hard for people to understand.I think that the best overall President is the easiest, being the first, George Washington will always be special with his 100% approval rating and unanimous vote.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the president that dealt the best with domestic issues was Ronald Reagan. We were in a bad financial situation because of Jimmy Carter and Reagan lowered taxes for everyone and created jobs for everyone and helped turn the economy around. There was a great boom with the economy after his actions. The president that did the best job on foreign policy was again, Ronald Reagan. He ended the Cold War with Russia and he built the Star Wars program for nuclear defense that would shoot down missiles. I think the best president overall was Abraham Lincoln. He had to deal with something that no other president had before, a war within the country. He helped hold the country together while they were fighting against each other.
ReplyDelete-Casey Frederick
I don't know much about presidents or anything having to do with politics. I think Bill Clinton was great for the domestic policies he created a national deficit that had the nation at ease. He also helped homosexuals get into the military.
ReplyDeleteFor the foreign policy I agree with the rest that FDR helped our nation a great deal by creating Good Neighbor policy with Latin America.
As for picking an over all best president. I think each president brought some thing to the table and has helped the nation in their own little ways. Each president has brought a little good to the USA but each has left a mark.
For domestic I feel that Teddy was the man. He mostly won me over because he was a conservationist. He set up national parks and seen the importance to have places set aside for our animals.
ReplyDeleteFor the Foreign part, I was going to say Jefferson, but after some research, I found that FDR had a plethora of policies. I also thought his participation in the League of Nations really helped him build strong connections with other countries.
I wouldn't consider FDR the best president because of his singing of Interment camps. I really don't have a favorite president. I liked Washington’s attitude towards it though. He didn’t want to be the king of the United States. He didn't want it, but he did one of the best jobs at it.
-Zach Karnes
I would have to say that my favorite President was Abraham Lincoln. He took a stand to try and direct the Nation into a new direction when his ideals were not so popular amongst the people. That is a tough job to do, doing the right thing when others disagree with you.
ReplyDeleteAs far as foreign policy goes, I would have to agree with Casey. I think that Reagan was instramental in helping to bring the Cold War to an end.
When it comes to domestic, I am in favor of Washington. He was a humble man, who had this new Nation at heart when he agreed to help try to establish our Country as a Nation. Washington helped to establish some fundamentals and guidelines for what a Nation should be about, at home and abroad.
I think the best president on Domestic issues is Jefferson, only because he was instrumental in expanding the country to almost the size it is today. He stuck close to the constitution and was a big supporter of a limited government.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the best Presidents was JFK. He had several events in his short career that would be a considerable challenge to any president, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the space race, which helped establish our presence as a super power. When it threatened our country so close to home.
My favorite of all if I had to pick, like this is a card game, would be Jefferson. He was a no nonsense kind of guy. I like his personality when I learn about him, he did what he thought was right. Plus he won like every dual he was in and often carried a pistol or two on his person if I remember correctly.
-Nicholas Alexander
FDR would be one of the best president on domestic issues. He created the New deal which helped many Americans out of the great depression. The Banking act of 1935 gave Americans a central baking system for the first time. Then he established the FERA which met needs of starvation and unemployment. In the agriculture sector in put in place the AAA act which led many farmers cut production for cash incentives. He also created social security.
ReplyDeleteRichard Nixon was the best for foreign policies because he withdrew from the Vietnam war and left the people there trained and ready to fight. He also was the first president to become friendly with China. This lead to SALT treaty which indicated both nations were looking for a peaceful co-existence.
My favorite president is JFK because he was so charismatic and because of his moral leadership towards the Civil Rights movement.He also created the Peace Corps and wanted to be on the moon by the 60s which had overwhelming support.
I don't really have a favorite pres. I like to think since I've never met any of them personally I can't really say.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think that FDR was the greatest president. He boomed the economy in a state of depression, the like have never been seen again. I'm not sure about his foriegn policies, but I do know he did alot to change America.
ReplyDelete