Four most significant Presidents of the 20th Century

[Reaganfan]

I've been thinking recently about how the 20th Century had 18 U.S. Presidents...but if you had to pick just four historically significant and important Presidents, which ones would you choose?

My choices:

1. Theodore Roosevelt
2. Franklin Roosevelt
3. Richard Nixon
4. Ronald Reagan

[memphis]

1. Theodore Roosevelt
2. Franklin Roosevelt
3. Lyndon Johnson
4. Ronald Reagan

[Lief 🗽]

Based purely on their significance, not necessarily my positive or negative opinions on them, in order:

1) Franklin D. Roosevelt
2) Woodrow Wilson
3) Lyndon B. Johnson
4) Richard Nixon

Honorable mention:
5) Ronald Reagan
6) Theodore Roosevelt

[sethm0]

 1. FDR - Changed the role of the state in society and altered peoples' perception of the purposes of government. Numerous lasting legacies, including social security and the UN.

 2. LBJ - Unparalleled legislative success - civil rights, great society, etc - and escalation of Vietnam conflict which drastically changed attitudes toward military intervention

 3. T. Roosevelt - Established once and for all that government trumps industrial wealth in America. Added conservationism to the job description of President. Built American military into world contender.

 4. Reagan - Changed popular views of economics. Solidified conservative / evangelical alliance.

 Honorable mention:
  Wilson - Made the U.S. a real player in the world scene.
  Kennedy - Became an enduring symbol for liberalism in America and amassed a number of                       achievements in a short time (peace crops, Cuban missile crisis, space race, etc)
  Truman - Truman Doctrine set the stage for the Cold War and America as Superpower.

[YRABNNRM]

Based purely on their significance, not necessarily my positive or negative opinions on them, in order:

1) Franklin D. Roosevelt
2) Woodrow Wilson
3) Lyndon B. Johnson
4) Richard Nixon

Honorable mention:
5) Ronald Reagan
6) Theodore Roosevelt

I agree with that list.

[Verily]

Based purely on their significance, not necessarily my positive or negative opinions on them, in order:

1) Franklin D. Roosevelt
2) Woodrow Wilson
3) Lyndon B. Johnson
4) Richard Nixon

Honorable mention:
5) Ronald Reagan
6) Theodore Roosevelt

Mostly agree, but I'd switch Nixon and Teddy Roosevelt.

[Padfoot]

1. Franklin D. Roosevelt
2. Lyndon B. Johnson
3. Woodrow Wilson
4. Theodore Roosevelt

On a side note I think that Theodore Roosevelt is probably regarded as the most "fun" president. 

[DanielX]

There's a problem... I think there are 5 truly significant presidents in the 20th century:
Theodore Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt
Dwight Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Ronald Reagan

Honorable Mentions:
Woodrow Wilson (BOO! HISS! He had an impact, but largely a negative one IMHO)
Harry Truman
Richard Nixon
William Clinton

[Wakie]

Based purely on their significance (how they changed things in ways other men may not have done so) ....

1. FDR - 12 years as President gives you a lot of time to make changes.  His social programs and foreign intervention changed America and the world as a whole.

2. Thomas Jefferson - 2 words, Louisiana Purchase (literally doubled the size of the country).  2 more words, West Point (gave America its own training center for a professional army).

3. Abe Lincoln - Some men would have let the nation split.  Some men would not have excercised emmancipation.  Like him or not, he changed the nation.

4. LBJ - Great Society, escalation of Vietnam, civil rights.  During LBJ America grew up.

[memphis]

Based purely on their significance (how they changed things in ways other men may not have done so) ....

1. FDR - 12 years as President gives you a lot of time to make changes.  His social programs and foreign intervention changed America and the world as a whole.

2. Thomas Jefferson - 2 words, Louisiana Purchase (literally doubled the size of the country).  2 more words, West Point (gave America its own training center for a professional army).

3. Abe Lincoln - Some men would have let the nation split.  Some men would not have excercised emmancipation.  Like him or not, he changed the nation.

4. LBJ - Great Society, escalation of Vietnam, civil rights.  During LBJ America grew up.

I think you need to reread the question.

[Eraserhead]

1.FDR
2.Wilson
3.Truman
4.Nixon

Honorable Mention:
Johnson, Teddy Roosevelt, Hoover, Kennedy

[Wakie]

Based purely on their significance (how they changed things in ways other men may not have done so) ....

1. FDR - 12 years as President gives you a lot of time to make changes.  His social programs and foreign intervention changed America and the world as a whole.

2. Thomas Jefferson - 2 words, Louisiana Purchase (literally doubled the size of the country).  2 more words, West Point (gave America its own training center for a professional army).

3. Abe Lincoln - Some men would have let the nation split.  Some men would not have excercised emmancipation.  Like him or not, he changed the nation.

4. LBJ - Great Society, escalation of Vietnam, civil rights.  During LBJ America grew up.

I think you need to reread the question.

Ugh ... you're right ... my bad.  Bad day for me.  Let's try over, eh?

1. FDR - Reasons previously cited
2. LBJ - Reasons prevously cited
3. Truman - His decision to use the A-Bombs dramatically altered the world.  Throw in the Marshall Plan, United Nations, handling of the Cold War, decision to hide certain Axis Power scientists, recognition of Israel, and his handling of Korea and you see he had a dramatic impact on history.
4. Nixon - Opened China, ended Vietnam, but also by getting busted over Watergate he changed the face of American politics.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I agree with sethm0's ranking.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Not really in a particular order:

1. Reagan
2. FDR
3. Hoover - most peopl are gonna disagree with me here, but here's my reasoning - had Hoover not been in office with his "You got yourselves in this mess, now get out of it" mentality, FDR never would've been elected.
4. LBJ

[Speed of Sound]

Oh I find this to be quite easy.

In no order:

FDR
Reagan
Truman (Nukes)
LBJ

[Eraserhead]

Reagan has no place on these lists.

[Rob]

It's absurd to rank anyone above FDR, obviously, but I'm not sure of the others.

Reagan has no place on these lists.

Why not? He did allow the AIDS epidemic to fester and kill millions...

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Why not? He did allow the AIDS epidemic to fester and kill millions...

You forgot expanding/keeping alive the war on drugs, massive governmental expansion which made FDR or LBJ seem tame, massive deficits... Significant doesn't have to mean good.

[Sensei]

Hoover
FDR
LBJ
Nixon

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

GWB is 21st century

[Sensei]

how dumb of me... fixed.

[YRABNNRM]

Reagan has no place on these lists.

Without Reagan, the Republican Party and conservatism today would be quite different.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Hoover
FDR
LBJ
Nixon

OK, I'm curious, why did you say Hoover?

[Jaggerjack]

Hoover
FDR
LBJ
Nixon

OK, I'm curious, why did you say Hoover?

Probably cause he just sat on his ass while the nation started to crumble

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Hoover
FDR
LBJ
Nixon

OK, I'm curious, why did you say Hoover?

Probably cause he just sat on his ass while the nation started to crumble

Well - the depression was the stupid investors' fault - not his.  So he wasn't in the wrong in my mind.