The Greats

Just beneath the "Saviors," there are the "Greats." These five presidents redefined the presidency, the national interest, or the nation itself. None of them were perfect, but they all stood heads and tails above the rest. What separates them from the saviors is the lack of mortal danger the nation faced. What separates them from all others is their force of will which changed the nation in some way. Again, these are in chronological order.
1. Andrew Jackson (1829-1837): Jackson embodied the "common man." Andrew Jackson took up the mantle of universal (white) manhood suffrage and made it his cause. During the 1820s, suffrage expanded dramatically and Jackson rode the wave to Washington. As president, he expanded the office's powers while decentralizing the government. He usually won his battles. He even paid off the national debt. His advocacy of the little guy has been a standard Democratic battle cry long after they abandoned the little guy. Although, his handling of the Bank War and the withdrawal of funds led to his censure and Indian Removal is a major stain on his record. Overall, Jackson's policies of small government, strong central authority, and support for the average citizen led to this period being labeled "The Age of Jackson."
2. Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909): TR's policies and beliefs had a profound impact on the country (and his cousin Franklin). The only side he took during labor disputes was that of the consumer. He was also the first president to advocate consumer protection. While president, he balanced the extreme right and left and steered a middle course. On the international level, he was the first American President to be considered an equal with the Europeans. He even won the Nobel Peace Prize for arbitrating the end of the Russo-Japanese War. Even more than his predecessor, Roosevelt pushed America's place in the world. He sent the US fleet on a world tour to demonstrate American power and built the Panama Canal. It was Roosevelt and his Big Stick Policy that turned America into a World power following the Spanish-American War.
3. Harry S. Truman (1945-1953): While TR turned America into a player on the world stage, Truman turned the player into a leader. This transition occurred during World War II under FDR, but following the war, most people expected America to turn inward again. Instead, Truman went on a crusade against Communism. He rebuilt Europe, established NATO as a defensive alliance, and promised to stand up against Stalin and the Commies wherever they were in the world. This led to the Berlin Airlift, Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine, and Korean War. Harry Truman initiated the Containment Policy to keep the Communists hemmed in. This policy was (more or less) followed by America until the late 1970s. Truman's policy, followed by his successors, probably helped save many in the world from communist dictatorships.
4. Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961): Ike? Am I kidding? No. Eisenhower has been slowly inching up the presidential rankings for the last decade. His solid, no frills leadership in the 1950s was exactly what people wanted. When Russia detonated their a-bombs, people knew they would not mess with the US with Ike in the White House. When Sputnik was launched, Ike stopped a panic. When a mob went after children trying to desegregate Little Rock Central High School, Ike sent in the military to protect them. When people began to look at Vietnam, Ike said it was not worth the time. When people wanted out of Korea, Ike went to Korea. On top of all of this, Ike built the national highway system that made modern America. With the highway system, Americans created the suburbs. Indeed, Ike belongs on this list.
5. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989): When Reagan took office, the Soviet Union was waging proxy wars all over the globe, had invaded Afghanistan, there were hostages being held in Iran, and unemployment and inflation combined were at about 25%. When Reagan left office, the Soviets were on the vergeof destruction, had lost the war in Afghanistan, the hostages were returned home the minute Reagan assumed office, and unemployment and inflation were under control and continued to fall for another generation. Some credit Gorbachev with many of the changes. Although it is true he opened the USSR up politically, his economic reforms designed to reinvigorate communism failed as the pressure the US placed on them came to bear. The end result, America was the world's only super power. TR would have been proud.