Who was the most authoritarian U.S. President?

[Phony Moderate]

A close run thing between Bush Jr. and Wilson, imo.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Dubya of course.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Wilson by a hundred miles. Reagan shouldn't be on this list.

[Napoleon]

Wilson but only because mass media was somewhat able to keep Dumbya in check. I'd imagine Shrub would be worse than Wilson in Wilson's era, and by worse I mean something worse than segregation for certain citizen classes and demographics.

[SvenssonRS]

Again, a close tie between Wilson and Dubya. Ultimately Dubya, though.

[fezzyfestoon]

How much of what Bush did was authoritarian really?  I fully agree he is an authoritarian, but other than the Patriot Act, I'm at a loss.  I'm probably hugely neglecting some pretty obvious things, but I haven't thought about Bush in a while.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Other: Andy Jackson

[Phony Moderate]

Wilson by a hundred miles. Reagan shouldn't be on this list.

The deficit? The War on Drugs? Social collectivism? Foreign interventionism on a scale greater than Vietnam? How utterly libertarian!

[Stranger in a strange land]

Dubya and Wilson are both top contenders, though I'd say the prize would have to go to Richard Nixon. I mean the guy actually said, "If the President does it, it's not illegal" and his actions show he seemed to actually believe it.

[WillK]

How much of what Bush did was authoritarian really?  I fully agree he is an authoritarian, but other than the Patriot Act, I'm at a loss.  I'm probably hugely neglecting some pretty obvious things, but I haven't thought about Bush in a while.

He declared he was 'the decider'.
His use of signing statements to disregard congress and do things the way he wanted.
His use of executive order to give the feds greater wiretapping power because he felt the law was in the way

[Franzl]

Dubya of course.

You know....just because the Left hates him, doesn't make it true necessarily. I can't recall Dubya putting political opponents in jail, for example.

It seems obvious that Wilson wins this prize easily.

[Phony Moderate]

You know....just because the Left hates him, doesn't make it true necessarily. I can't recall Dubya putting political opponents in jail, for example.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camp

[Middle-aged Europe]

Um, Lincoln suspended habeas corpus and also ignored a court order overturning the same suspension. Shouldn't he at least be included in this poll?

[Franzl]

You know....just because the Left hates him, doesn't make it true necessarily. I can't recall Dubya putting political opponents in jail, for example.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camp

Which political opponents were put there?

[Mechaman]

Dubya of course.

You know....just because the Left hates him, doesn't make it true necessarily.
It seems obvious that Wilson wins this prize easily.

As one poster put it earlier "Wilson's actions against anti-war protestors in the 1910's would make even the most ardent civil libertarians beg for the Bush Patriot Act in comparison".
I mean damn it left wingers at least Bush Jr. had the media on his ass if he did something, Wilson probably would have all of their asses thrown in prison for "subversion".

I find it surprising however that Lincoln isn't listed in the poll, for the same reasons mentioned by Old Europe.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Wilson by a hundred miles. Reagan shouldn't be on this list.

The deficit? The War on Drugs? Social collectivism? Foreign interventionism on a scale greater than Vietnam? How utterly libertarian!

Why isn't Abe Lincoln who obliterated habeus corpus on this list or John Adams who passed the draconian Alien and Sedition Act? Adams even had his VP speak out against him via the 1798 Kentucky Resolution. Or Clinton for his regular foreign interventions

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Wilson. Dubya had the media to keep him in check and had to worry about a tight re-election.

[RIP Robert H Bork]

You know....just because the Left hates him, doesn't make it true necessarily. I can't recall Dubya putting political opponents in jail, for example.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camp

Which political opponents were put there?

^^^^

Obamaisdabest is insulting actual political opponents there. But I suppose he considers terrorists to be "political opponents" when a Republican is president...

[Phony Moderate]

You know....just because the Left hates him, doesn't make it true necessarily. I can't recall Dubya putting political opponents in jail, for example.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camp

Which political opponents were put there?

^^^^

Obamaisdabest is insulting actual political opponents there. But I suppose he considers terrorists to be "political opponents" when a Republican is president...

And when a Democrat is President.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

between the internment camps and the assaults on economic liberty and the independent judiciary, I'd have to go with FDR.

[Mr. Taft Republican]

Hate to make the case in Nixon's favor, but in this case I'll make an exception. I can't remember any other administration where soldiers actually shot protestors. Imprisoned, yes, but they were still alive at the end of it.

[Frink]

Wilson by a hundred miles. Reagan shouldn't be on this list.

The deficit? The War on Drugs? Social collectivism? Foreign interventionism on a scale greater than Vietnam? How utterly libertarian!

Why isn't Abe Lincoln who obliterated habeus corpus on this list or John Adams who passed the draconian Alien and Sedition Act? Adams even had his VP speak out against him via the 1798 Kentucky Resolution. Or Clinton for his regular foreign interventions

Because its completely constitutional for the congress to suspend habeus corpus in the case of rebellion. Authoritarian? Yes, but if its constitutional its automatically considered not authoritarian in the political discourse of the United States.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Wilson was pretty much a fascist.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

No I beg to differ. When the Southern States secedded they became sovereign countries in their own right. When they ratified the Confedrate Constuition they formed the Confederate States of America, an independent sovereign country. Lincoln and the Northern States committed an aggressive war. The War for Southern Independance was not all about slavery. It was an act of terrorism by an industrialized north that wanted high  tarriffs that would have suppressed Southern agrarian interests.

[phk]

FDR.

Court stacking and Japanese-American internment.