Who was the most authoritarian U.S. President?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

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.

[Free Palestine]

Wilson

[Franzl]

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...

Don't put words in my mouth, I don't agree with you either. Suspected terrorists are being held there. We have no idea how many of them are really dangerous.

That said, none of the people being held there were: a.) American citizens, b.) non-American citizens captured within the United States, c.) in any way under American judicial jurisdiction when they were captured.

It's really nothing like what Wilson did....and it's just dumb to equate the two.

[WillK]

No I beg to differ. When the Southern States secedded they became sovereign countries in their own right.

I suppose one could hold that opinion. One could also believe the world is flat.

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If true, it would make him no different than many other presidents who committed aggressive war. 

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Ahh, fantasy land.

[Redalgo]

Wilson, easily.

[WillK]

Why isn't ...  John Adams who passed the draconian Alien and Sedition Act?

Possibly the list maker has a good sense of history and realizes that the Alien and Sedition Acts (plural) were passed by Congress, Adams merely signing them, and they really weren't draconian.  

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Since Jefferson was the leader of the opposition party (due to the way VPs were elected then) in a highly partisan time, is it really a surprise that he spoke out?  But since we are on the subject, Jefferson should be on the list.  His enforcement of the Embargo was authoritarian.  As a noted historian wrote: "The name of the scheme was embargo. In its name, Thomas Jefferson conducted a fifteen-month reign of oppression and repression that was unprecedented in American history and would not be matched for another hundred and ten years". (Presidency of Thomas Jefferson, Forrest MacDonald)

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Did he intervene any more regularly than other presidents of the modern era?

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

You are aware up untill 9/11 that the Dems were far more the party that espoused that America should be the "Policemen of the World". When W ran in 2000 he spoke of a humble foreign policy which ment reducing military intervention.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

And now both parties want us to be the world's police, thanks to 9/11

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

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.

No... just no.

Also a sovereign state isn't one just because it says so...

[WillK]

You are aware up untill 9/11 that the Dems were far more the party that espoused that America should be the "Policemen of the World". When W ran in 2000 he spoke of a humble foreign policy which ment reducing military intervention.

W said a lot of things that were completely different than his actions. 

[Mr. Taft Republican]

You are aware up untill 9/11 that the Dems were far more the party that espoused that America should be the "Policemen of the World". When W ran in 2000 he spoke of a humble foreign policy which ment reducing military intervention.

W said a lot of things that were completely different than his actions. 

All presidents have.

[Mechaman]

And now both parties want us to be the world's police, thanks to 9/11

Best post yet.

[Person Man]

And now both parties want us to be the world's police, thanks to 9/11

Best post yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YOh-rpvjYg

[dead0man]

The one that put 110,000 people in camps because of the color of their skin.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Where's Andrew Jackson, by the way?

[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.

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

I could be being a cynic, but I don't really see how that distinguishes Bush from most of our Presidents.

[Person Man]

The one that put 110,000 people in camps because of the color of their skin.

How many did Jackson put into camps? Is there any way of fairly and accurately quantifying who the biggest power whore we have had in the Oval Office?

[dead0man]

The one that put 110,000 people in camps because of the color of their skin.

How many did Jackson put into camps? Is there any way of fairly and accurately quantifying who the biggest power whore we have had in the Oval Office?

wiki suggests somewhere around 45,000 were forced to relocate...the number affected is smaller, but the damage done was more severe and permanent.  Most people know Jackson was a douche, a lot of people like to pretend FDR wasn't.

[WillK]

.... Is there any way of fairly and accurately quantifying who the biggest power whore we have had in the Oval Office?

I think this is a good question.   Can we determine to what extent authoritarian policies stemmed from Congress and public sentiment  versus being driven by the power lust of the president?

[Person Man]

Well, that too. ...but what is exactly "authoritarian"...simply the act of violating any constitutional right a constituent may invoke?

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Dubya.

[albaleman]

Dubya.

[Mechaman]

Dubya.

So Dubya apparently did acts that were more authoritarian than suspending habeas corpus, stifle freedom of speech, lock up over a hundred thousand people in concentration camps, or force whole groups of people on a "death march" to Oklahoma?
I expected this from red avatars but you Gramps?  Really.

And keep in mind that I don't like Bush, but to call him more authoritarian than Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, or Franklin Roosevelt is an insult to my intelligence.
The thread is titled "the most AUTHORITARIAN US President", not the worst US President.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Nixon.

At least among the Post-Civil War presidents. Wilson´s most authoritian phase corresponded with the time when he actually held very little power in Cabinet outside of foreign policy (and then he lost all power after his stroke). Blaming Palmer for the Red Scare insanity is more apt (though o/c alot more factors were at work).

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Mech, Dubya and his administration instituted the "Patriot Act", spied on U. S. Citizens without a warrant, held citizens accused of terrorism without charges, created Fatherland Security ("papers, please" and touching my junk), invented the term "person of interest" so a person who is a "suspect" doesn't get protections suspects get, instituted regime change (yeah that's 20/20 hindsight but it's still true).

Except for the last item all those things continue to this day under Obama.......but he didn't create the monster....even though he could try and calm the monster if he wanted to.