Grades: First Year for Every President Since FDR

Here are the grades for every president's first year since FDR. The rationale for each grade is listed next to the name. If there are questions, google the terms or ask. Also, some events have a greater significance, so even if a president has a nice achievement or a dunderheaded move, it can be canceled out by something else. Interestingly, I gave Clinton a higher mark than many of the people in his administration for his first year...

Obama is not included.

I used January 20 as the end date for the accidental presidents.

FDR: A (New Deal)

Truman (April 12, 1945-January 20, 1946): A (Potsdam, Ended WWII,UN)

Eisenhower: A (Ended Korean War, Kept most of New Deal, Earl Warren)

JFK: D (Bay of Pigs, Alliance for Progress, Peace Corps, Berlin Wall, Failed summit, Space Program, Inaugural Address)

LBJ (November 22, 1963-January 20, 1965): A (Kennedy Assassination, Civil Rights Act, 1964 Election. Beginnings of Great Society)

Nixon: C (Inaugural Address, Bombing Cambodia, Beginning of Vietnamization, Silent Majority speech)

Ford: (August 9, 1974-January 20, 1975): A-(WIN Program, Nixon Pardon, Healer-in-chief)

Carter: C (Draft dodger pardon, Carter VS. Congress)

Reagan: A (First Inaugural Address, Tax Cuts, Assassination Attempt, Air Traffic Controller’s Strike, Confrontation, Defense Buildup, Sandra Day O‘Connor)

Bush 41: C (Panama, Fall of Berlin Wall)

Clinton: D- (FMLA, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, NAFTA, Travelgate, Troopergate, Whitewater, other assorted scandals, Waco, Somalia)

Bush 43: A (Tax cuts, 911, Patriot Act, No Child Left Behind, Withdrawal from ABM Treaty and Kyoto, Overthrow of Taliban and War on Terror, Ground Zero Speech, 911 Address to Congress)