The two best presidents: Theodore Roosevelt and his nephew, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
FDR considered Theodore Roosevelt the greatest man he had ever met because of his energy, his zeal for reform, and his vision. He rates as one of the best presidents not only because he was a war hero, an author, an outdoorsman, and a Nobel Peace prize winner but also because he did so much for his country: he broke up the monopolies that threatened the economy, called for universal health care and workers’ compensation, and completed the building of the Panama Canal.
By that same criterion, FDR must rate as one of the greatest men in history because he is one of the few who put power to the best use for his nation and for the world. The fact that he was elected to the presidency four times alone puts him above all other presidents. He showed his far-sightedness by preparing his country for World War II even when the isolationists opposed involvement, and while he supported the Soviet Union in its fight against Hitler’s Germany, he prepared for the Cold War, too. He also took the United States from the depths of the depression to being the most powerful nation in the world.
The two worst presidents: Warren Gamaliel Harding and Herbert Hoover. Harding signed the Versailles Treaty, called for the abolition of lynching but failed to back it up, and packed the administration with friends who then proceeded to rob the government.
Herbert Hoover did a great deal of good both before and after his election but failed to prevent or find a solution to the Great Depression. Worried that government assistance might make Americans dependent on federal aid, he relied on voluntary action by banks and higher taxes to overcome the economic downturn. It was his inability to reverse this downturn that led to the election of FDR in 1932.