My Favourite and Least Favourite Presidents
When it comes to ranking U.S. presidents, there’s always a debate over who was the “best” or “worst.” But those terms can be slippery, often shaped by how history remembers particular wars or crises. My list, however, isn’t necessarily about who history textbooks celebrate or vilify. It’s about who, in my view, upheld or undermined the principles that matter most to me: keeping government limited, respecting individual freedom, and recognizing that centralized power tends to create more problems than it solves.
I favour presidents who understood that the federal government is a blunt tool and should be used sparingly. Those who trusted people and communities to manage their own affairs without constant interference rank highly for me. Conversely, I’m critical of those who saw government as the solution to every problem, expanded its reach unnecessarily, or trampled on constitutional boundaries. Some, like Franklin D. Roosevelt, built enduring legacies but concentrated power in ways that set dangerous precedents. Others, like Andrew Johnson, actively worked against progress and undermined national unity.
It’s important to note that this list focuses solely on their time in office. Many presidents made invaluable contributions outside the presidency, John Adams’ revolutionary diplomacy, for instance, but I’ve set those achievements aside here. This is about their role as president, not as statesmen, soldiers, or diplomats.
That said, context matters. Some presidents, like Abraham Lincoln, faced extraordinary circumstances that demanded difficult decisions, even if it meant stretching constitutional limits. Others, like Calvin Coolidge, are often overlooked precisely because they governed with restraint and humility, qualities I deeply admire.
This isn’t a definitive list of the “greatest” or “worst” presidents but rather my perspective on who contributed positively or negatively to the role of government and the liberty of the American people.
Favourite Presidents
George Washington
In office: April 30, 1789 - March 4, 1797
Party: Independent
In my view, the top position is contended for by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. It’s a difficult decision to make given Lincoln’s role in the Civil War and emancipation movement. The reason I went with George Washington in the number one spot is solely due to Abraham Lincoln’s succession planning; his decision to have Andrew Johnson (who you will see is my least favourite President of all time) as his running mate. This decision, followed by Lincoln’s assassination, led to Johnson taking office and working to undermine reconstruction and re-establish the racist confederate power structures in the South.
Washington set so many valuable precedents, one of the most important being his voluntary vacation of office, against the wishes of many of his counterparts. This two-term precedent held until 1941 when FDR took office for the third time, and again for a fourth in 1945. This was followed by the 22nd amendment, proposed in 1947 and ratified in 1951, which stipulated, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”
One of Washington’s most defining contributions was setting the precedent for the peaceful transition of power. By voluntarily stepping down after two terms, he delivered a crucial message: no officeholder, no matter how powerful or revered, is indispensable in a democracy. His departure cemented the idea that power in America would always belong to the people, not to any single individual.
Washington also laid the groundwork for America’s early foreign policy with his insistence on neutrality. As European powers clashed in seemingly endless conflicts, he understood that entangling the fledgling republic in such wars would be disastrous. His Farewell Address stands as a timeless warning against foreign alliances, shaping American diplomacy for generations.
Domestically, Washington’s handling of the Whiskey Rebellion is a masterclass in leadership that avoided slipping into authoritarianism. Faced with an uprising that threatened federal authority, he had the constitutional power to crush it with brute military force. and he did mobilize troops to demonstrate the government’s resolve. Yet, instead of wielding force recklessly, he balanced firmness with restraint, de-escalating the crisis without bloodshed and eventually pardoning those involved. This episode highlighted Washington’s commitment to the rule of law and reinforced the authority of the Constitution.
Washington, along with the other Founding Fathers, established a framework for a nation that is still aspired to in 2025, albeit I expect Washington would take serious issue with the state of US governance today. Washington’s presidency was a masterclass in restraint; he could have ruled for life but instead chose to model democracy at its finest.
Abraham Lincoln
In office: March 4, 1862 - April 15, 1865
Party: Republican
Abraham Lincoln held the country together through its worst crisis to date. His forward-looking approach to the issue of slavery and his resolve throughout the bitter Civil War, which cost an approximate 620,000 lives, roughly 2% of the population at the time, was crucial. If you account for today’s population, that would equate to 6 million.
As I alluded to above, the decision to have Andrew Johnson as his running mate, while attempting to unify the country, ended up backfiring and enabling Johnson to cause significant damage and setbacks in the wake of the Civil War. Although no U.S. president had been assassinated at this point, many subsequent assassination attempts would be made, and three more would be successful. Given the bitter war that ensued, Lincoln would have done well to understand this was a possibility.
Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War stands as one of the most remarkable demonstrations of presidential resolve. At a time when the very existence of the Union hung by a thread, he made bold, often unpopular choices to preserve the nation’s integrity. His unwavering commitment to holding the country together, even in the face of immense political and personal pressure, defined his presidency and shaped the nation’s future.
Perhaps no action exemplifies Lincoln’s courage more than the Emancipation Proclamation. Though limited in immediate effect, this executive order fundamentally transformed the war’s moral and political landscape. By framing the conflict as a fight for freedom, Lincoln altered the nation’s trajectory and laid the groundwork for the abolition of slavery. Where others might have hesitated, he seized the moment, forever changing the nation’s conscience.
Lincoln’s tenure was not without controversy. His suspension of habeas corpus drew fierce criticism from political opponents who accused him of trampling constitutional rights. Yet Lincoln felt that extraordinary times demanded extraordinary measures. His primary focus remained the survival of the Union, and history vindicated his difficult decisions. His ability to lead through such turbulent waters underscores why he is remembered as one of the nation’s greatest leaders.
His actions led to the establishment of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, although he did not live to see their ratification. These amendments abolished slavery and involuntary servitude (except as punishment for a crime), redefined citizenship and protections to include freed slaves, and forbid prevention of voting based on race, color, and creed.
Lincoln’s presidency proved that leadership through crisis requires both moral courage and sheer political will, traits that defined his time in office. He preserved the Union at a cost few could bear and fewer could survive politically, a testament to his grit and vision.
Thomas Jefferson
In office: March 4, 1801 - March 4, 1809
Party: Democratic-Republican
Jefferson’s presidency is one of contradictions, but that’s also why it’s so significant, and why he ranks so highly for me. Despite moments where he strayed from his own principles, his deep commitment to limited government, individual liberty, and the idea that people, not politicians, should shape their own destinies makes him one of the most important presidents in American history.
Unlike his contemporary John Adams, who aligned more with Edmund Burke’s belief in tradition, hierarchy, and strong institutions, Jefferson was firmly in the camp of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, a radical, revolutionary approach that put faith in the people rather than the state. Where Adams saw government as a stabilizing force to protect order, Jefferson saw it as a necessary evil, one that should be kept as restrained as possible. That divide played out in their presidencies. Adams expanded government power and signed the Alien and Sedition Acts, Jefferson slashed federal spending and championed decentralization.
His belief in small government wasn’t just rhetoric. He reduced the national debt, cut federal spending, and eliminated internal taxes, a rarity among American presidents. Unlike many who paid lip service to limited government while expanding their own power, Jefferson actually followed through, scaling back the federal bureaucracy and shifting authority to the states wherever possible. That alone makes him stand out.
Yet, his presidency also showed the realities of governing. The Louisiana Purchase, his most significant achievement, nearly doubled the size of the country and secured control of the Mississippi River, paving the way for westward expansion. It was a masterstroke for the future of the U.S., but it came with a glaring contradiction: Jefferson had long argued for a strict interpretation of the Constitution, and nowhere in it was the federal government explicitly given the power to acquire new territory. He knew it was a stretch but went ahead anyway, justifying it as necessary for the nation’s growth. It’s a reminder that even the strongest ideological commitments can bend under the weight of real-world decisions.
His contradictions extended to foreign policy as well. He was deeply skeptical of a standing army, fearing it could be used as a tool of oppression, yet he helped establish West Point to ensure the country had trained military officers. His Embargo Act of 1807, an attempt to keep the U.S. out of European wars by halting trade, was a disaster, tanking the economy and proving that government intervention, even when well-intended, often causes more harm than good.
Then there’s the most glaring contradiction of all: Jefferson, the man who wrote that “all men are created equal,” owned hundreds of slaves. He spoke against slavery, supported efforts to curb its expansion, and recognized its moral failings, yet he never freed most of the people he enslaved. His personal failings on this front are impossible to ignore, even as his broader philosophy helped lay the groundwork for the eventual abolition of slavery.
Despite these contradictions, Jefferson’s vision for America, a nation built on self-reliance, decentralization, and a deep distrust of government power, aligns closely with my own views. His presidency wasn’t perfect, but few leaders did more to advance the principles of liberty and limited government. Even when he stumbled, his instincts were usually right: government should be small, power should be decentralized, and people should be free to govern themselves. That’s why he earns a top spot on my list.
Calvin Coolidge
In office: August 2, 1923 - March 4, 1929
Party: Republican
Coolidge probably isn’t the first president most people think of, but I’ve always respected his quiet, principled leadership. Following the scandals of the Harding administration, “Silent Cal” restored integrity to the office, not through grand speeches or sweeping reforms, but by doing something rare in American politics: knowing when to step back. His presidency was a lesson in restraint, proving that sometimes the best governance is about what doesn’t happen, no overreach, no unnecessary expansion of federal power, no costly entanglements.
Unlike many presidents who saw the office as a platform for personal ambition, Coolidge understood that government’s role wasn’t to control or dictate but to get out of the way and let people thrive. He famously declared, “The business of America is business,” and he lived by that philosophy, keeping federal spending low, slashing taxes, and resisting calls for government intervention. His economic policies helped fuel the Roaring Twenties, a period of rapid growth and innovation. While some later blamed his hands-off approach for setting the stage for the Great Depression, the reality is more complicated. Coolidge avoided reckless spending and resisted the kind of federal overreach that his successors would later embrace, with far worse consequences.
He also proved that integrity and good governance don’t require an activist agenda. After the corruption-ridden Harding years, Coolidge restored public trust in government simply by being honest, disciplined, and unwilling to use his office for personal gain. He was one of the few presidents who genuinely believed that Washington wasn’t the center of the universe, and he governed accordingly.
Coolidge’s foreign policy was just as restrained. Unlike the interventionists of his time, he had no desire to entangle the U.S. in European affairs, focusing instead on domestic prosperity. His “America First” attitude didn’t mean isolationism in the reckless sense, it meant prioritizing American interests over costly foreign adventures. In an era where intervention is often framed as the default position, his approach is a reminder that not every problem requires U.S. involvement.
His presidency stands as a rebuke to the idea that great leadership requires grand gestures. Coolidge understood that government is a blunt instrument, best used sparingly. He didn’t seek to transform America, he trusted that, left to their own devices, Americans could do that themselves. In a political landscape where “doing something” is often confused with effective leadership, Coolidge’s ability to do less, and do it well, is exactly why he earns a top spot on my list.
Ronald Reagan
In office: January 20, 1981 - January 20, 1989
Party: Republican
Reagan’s presidency marked a major turning point in American politics, reviving the conservative movement and pushing the country toward free-market capitalism, lower taxes, and reduced government intervention. After the economic malaise of the 1970s, he ushered in a sense of renewal, both in the economy and in the national spirit. His vision of America as a shining “city on a hill” resonated deeply, not just because it was optimistic, but because it was rooted in a fundamental belief: that individuals, not government, were the true drivers of prosperity and progress.
Reagan’s economic policies, tax cuts, deregulation, and a strong stance against inflation, helped pull the U.S. out of stagflation and set the stage for decades of growth. While critics point to the rise in deficits during his presidency, the reality is that Reagan inherited a bloated government and did what he could to reverse its trajectory. His approach wasn’t about perfection, it was about shifting the country back toward the principles of economic freedom.
Beyond the economy, Reagan’s most enduring legacy is his role in ending the Cold War. He took a hard line against the Soviet Union, famously calling it the “evil empire” and backing up his words with military investment, including the Strategic Defense Initiative. Yet, he also understood the importance of diplomacy, building a relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev that ultimately helped lead to the fall of the Soviet regime. Reagan didn’t defeat communism through brute force, he won by making it clear that America’s model of freedom and opportunity was simply superior.
That’s not to say his presidency was without flaws. The Iran-Contra affair remains a black mark, and his spending choices, particularly the rise in deficits, didn’t always align with his small-government rhetoric. But unlike so many politicians, Reagan had a clear vision and stuck to it. He wasn’t just a conservative president; he reshaped what conservatism meant in modern America.
Reagan understood that the role of government was not to solve every problem, but to remove barriers that kept people from solving problems themselves. In an era where even so-called conservatives often embrace big-government solutions, his belief in the power of the individual stands out even more today. That’s why, despite some imperfections, he earns a top spot on my list, because he didn’t just talk about freedom and prosperity; he actually moved America in that direction.
Least Favourite
Andrew Johnson
In office: April 15, 1865 - March 4, 1869
Party: Democratic
Andrew Johnson sits firmly at the bottom of my list, and for good reason. Taking office after Lincoln’s assassination, he had a rare opportunity to guide the country through one of its most critical periods, Reconstruction. Instead, he squandered it. Rather than working to heal the nation and ensure the promise of freedom for newly emancipated slaves, Johnson’s presidency actively undermined progress, emboldening former Confederates and setting back racial justice for generations.
His lenient approach to the South allowed Confederate leaders to return to power almost immediately, paving the way for Black Codes; laws that stripped African Americans of their newfound rights and essentially reintroduced slavery under another name. Johnson opposed the 14th Amendment, which granted citizenship to former slaves, and he vetoed civil rights legislation at every turn, forcing Congress to override him just to make basic progress. Instead of Reconstruction, he championed something closer to Restoration, where the old Southern order could reassert itself with minimal consequences.
His presidency was also defined by dysfunction and scandal, culminating in his impeachment, the first in U.S. history. Though he narrowly escaped removal from office, his clashes with Congress rendered him politically impotent. His combative, stubborn nature meant he was unable to build coalitions or govern effectively, leaving the country in turmoil at a time when strong leadership was desperately needed.
Few presidents have so completely failed at their central task. Johnson wasn’t just ineffective; he was actively harmful. By rolling back the progress made during and after the Civil War, he ensured that America’s racial divisions would persist for far longer than they should have. His presidency wasn’t just a missed opportunity; it was an outright disaster.
Woodrow Wilson
In office: March 4, 1913 - March 4, 1921
Party: Democratic
Woodrow Wilson is often hailed for his leadership during World War I and his vision for a League of Nations, but his presidency is marked by contradictions and actions that left a dark stain on his legacy. Despite his lofty ideals for global peace, his domestic policies were anything but progressive, especially for the African American community.
Wilson actively re-segregated federal agencies, rolling back hard-won civil rights gains from the Reconstruction era. He was a man of his time in many ways, but his deeply racist views were not just personal biases, they were institutionalized through his policies, making it clear that equality and racial justice were not priorities for his administration. In a period when the nation needed healing and unity, Wilson chose instead to deepen divisions.
But the racial injustices weren’t the only thing that soured Wilson’s presidency. His authoritarian instincts became evident during World War I, when he pushed through measures like the Espionage and Sedition Acts, which curtailed free speech and cracked down on dissent. These laws represented a chilling expansion of federal power, demonstrating how easily a wartime president can trample individual liberties. The very ideals Wilson claimed to champion were undermined by the methods he used to maintain control over public opinion.
Wilson’s failure to bring the United States into the League of Nations was perhaps the most significant missed opportunity of his presidency. Though he pushed for the creation of the League as a way to prevent future conflicts, he couldn’t get the Senate to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, leaving the U.S. on the sidelines of global diplomacy. This absence set the stage for the geopolitical isolationism that would contribute to the outbreak of World War II.
Wilson’s presidency was a tragic mix of idealism and authoritarianism. His push for global peace was undermined by his failure to protect civil liberties at home, and his segregationist policies ensured that progress toward racial equality would be set back for decades. His legacy is one of deep contradictions, one that should be remembered not just for its lofty ideals, but for its shameful actions that ran contrary to the very freedoms he claimed to uphold.
James Buchanan
In office: March 4, 1857 - March 4, 1861
Party: Democratic
James Buchanan’s presidency stands as one of the most catastrophic in American history, primarily due to his utter failure to navigate the nation’s descent into civil war. His time in office occurred in the critical years leading up to the Civil War, and instead of leading with conviction, Buchanan’s inability to take decisive action in the face of growing division made the conflict almost inevitable.
When it came to the issue of slavery, Buchanan failed to recognize the gravity of the situation. Instead of stepping up to preserve the Union, he allowed the South to secede without so much as lifting a finger to prevent it. His inaction during this period of national crisis was not a neutral stance, it actively contributed to the worsening division that would eventually tear the country apart. His failure to lead on the issue of slavery, which was at the heart of the nation’s growing tensions, made him one of the most inept presidents in U.S. history.
What makes Buchanan’s failure even more egregious was his complete inability to act during the secession of Southern states. As tensions over slavery and territorial expansion grew, Buchanan could have used the power of the presidency to either quell the rebellion or begin working on a solution to preserve the Union. Instead, he allowed the situation to spiral completely out of control, leaving a fractured nation on the brink of civil war. His indecisiveness during this critical period stands as the hallmark of weakness and cowardice in the face of crisis.
Buchanan’s refusal to act during a moment in history when leadership was most needed ensured that the country would soon descend into one of its bloodiest and most divisive conflicts. His presidency is a tragic example of how a lack of leadership in times of crisis can have catastrophic consequences. His inability to confront the issues of his time, particularly slavery and states’ rights, sealed his place as one of the worst leaders in the nation’s history.
Franklin Pierce
In office: March 4, 1853 - March 4, 1857
Party: Democratic
Franklin Pierce’s presidency is often regarded as one of the weakest in American history, largely due to his failure to effectively address the growing national tensions surrounding slavery and his inability to unify a deeply divided country. His tenure became emblematic of a leader who was too passive to take the necessary steps to prevent the nation’s descent into civil war.
Pierce’s role in the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 is perhaps his most defining legacy. This controversial act allowed settlers in the Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide for themselves whether to permit slavery, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise. This not only reignited the debate over slavery but also led to violent confrontations between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Kansas, what became known as “Bleeding Kansas.” This act, and Pierce’s support for it, significantly inflamed tensions and set the stage for the sectional conflict that would culminate in the Civil War.
Pierce’s tendency to appease Southern interests without taking any meaningful action to quell the growing crisis led to widespread alienation from both sides of the debate. His lack of leadership and decisiveness on this front only exacerbated the national divide, rendering his presidency ineffective at a time when strong leadership was desperately needed.
Pierce’s inability to unite the country or effectively manage the escalating political divisions makes his presidency a textbook example of weak leadership during a national crisis. He failed to grasp the gravity of the situation and lacked the political will to take decisive action. His inaction and failure to lead on slavery, particularly during the violence in Kansas, allowed the country to spiral further toward conflict.
However, while Pierce’s presidential shortcomings were significant, they were likely compounded by personal tragedy. Just weeks before his inauguration, his young son Benjamin was killed in a horrific train accident. The overwhelming grief Pierce experienced, coupled with his wife’s emotional breakdown and blaming of him for their son’s death, took a severe toll on his mental and emotional state. Pierce turned to alcohol as a way to cope with his sorrow, and this deeply impacted his ability to lead. Instead of rising to the challenge, he became a weak and divisive figure, further alienating the American people.
Ultimately, Franklin Pierce’s presidency was marked by missed opportunities and failure to act at a critical time in American history. His weak leadership, particularly on slavery, contributed directly to the mounting tensions that led to the Civil War, making his presidency a disaster in the eyes of many historians.
Lyndon B. Johnson
In office: November 22, 1963 - January 20, 1969
Party: Democratic
Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency is one of the most consequential in U.S. history, but not necessarily for the right reasons. While his Great Society programs were intended to reduce poverty and racial injustice, their long-term effects undermined many of their own goals, expanding government dependency and weakening family structures. Combined with his disastrous escalation of the Vietnam War, Johnson’s tenure left a legacy of division, mistrust, and unintended consequences that continue to shape America today.
Johnson’s Great Society was one of the most ambitious expansions of federal power in U.S. history. His administration passed landmark civil rights legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which dismantled institutional segregation and protected voting rights for minorities. These were genuine achievements. However, his broader War on Poverty, which expanded government programs in education, healthcare, and welfare, ultimately created long-term structural problems.
One of the most damaging effects of the Great Society was its role in weakening family structures, particularly in black communities. The expansion of federal assistance to single mothers made it financially advantageous for families to forgo marriage, leading to an explosion in fatherless homes. In 1965, Daniel Patrick Moynihan warned that the black illegitimacy rate, then around 25%, posed a major social risk. Instead of reversing the trend, Johnson’s welfare programs accelerated it. Today, the black illegitimacy rate stands above 70%, with similar increases across other demographics. The unintended consequence of well-meaning welfare expansion was a cycle of government dependency and social instability, something Johnson and his allies failed to foresee.
Johnson’s domestic overreach was mirrored in his foreign policy failures, particularly in Vietnam. While he inherited the conflict from Kennedy, his decision to escalate U.S. involvement, especially after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, turned it into a full-scale war that the U.S. ultimately could not win. Over 58,000 American troops died in the conflict, and Johnson’s unwillingness to either commit to total victory or withdraw left the country in a costly, unwinnable quagmire. The war fueled massive domestic unrest, shattered public trust in government, and siphoned resources away from his domestic programs.
By the end of his presidency, Johnson had lost the support of both the anti-war left and the law-and-order right. His Great Society had created massive entitlement programs that proved politically impossible to scale back, locking in government expansion for generations. His foreign policy had left America divided and disillusioned. While his legislative achievements were significant, his failure to anticipate their long-term consequences makes his presidency a cautionary tale of government overreach.
Other Notable Presidents
Franklin D Roosevelt
FDR is a paradox, a figure of remarkable leadership through the darkest days of World War II but also a president whose policies drastically expanded centralized power. His New Deal programs entrenched government control over the economy in ways that fundamentally changed the balance between federal and state power, laying groundwork for bloated bureaucracies that persist today. Even more damning were the Japanese internment camps, one of the most egregious violations of civil liberties in U.S. history. While his wartime resolve deserves recognition, his legacy remains tainted by authoritarian tendencies that should give anyone wary of unchecked government serious pause.
Ulysses S Grant
Grant is often unfairly dismissed as a failed president marred by corruption scandals, but this view misses the bigger picture. While some around him were corrupt, there’s no evidence to suggest he personally engaged in wrongdoing. More importantly, Grant was the last Reconstruction president who fought for civil rights when much of the country had already moved on. He took bold actions to suppress the Klan and protect freedmen during a period when others wanted to simply let the South return to its old ways. His presidency may have had flaws, but his dedication to equality in a hostile political environment deserves great respect.
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt embodied energy and determination, but his presidency came at a cost to limited government principles. While he curbed the excesses of monopolies, he also expanded the power of the federal government in ways that set troubling precedents. On the positive side, Roosevelt’s conservation efforts were groundbreaking, his dedication to preserving America’s natural beauty led to the creation of five national parks and the protection of millions of acres of land. Unfortunately, his aggressive foreign policy laid the foundation for America’s interventionist mindset, which eventually led to costly entanglements like Vietnam and numerous regime-change misadventures. Roosevelt’s legacy as a reformer is notable, but his expansion of government and foreign entanglements cast a long and uneasy shadow.
John Adams
John Adams was indispensable outside of the presidency, from his principled defense of British soldiers after the Boston Massacre to his critical role in diplomacy during the Revolutionary War. But as president, his tenure was a disappointment, largely due to the authoritarian Alien and Sedition Acts, which violated the principles of free speech and were a dark chapter in American governance. Adams’ commitment to liberty faltered when faced with political dissent, undermining the very ideals he had fought to establish. His legacy serves as a cautionary tale of how even great men can succumb to the temptations of power.
Presidents shape the nation not just through their intentions but through the consequences of their actions. Some expanded freedom, while others expanded government; some upheld American values, while others compromised them. The worst presidents weren’t just those who failed in the moment but those whose failures set the stage for deeper, lasting problems. History makes one thing clear: the more power a leader seizes, the more damage they tend to leave behind.