Top Ten Most Liberal U.S. Presidents
Roosevelt went against the wishes of laissez-faire advisors and implemented the New Deal during the Great Depression. The New Deal contained more regulations on banking, work programs for the unemployed, farming programs, and more. He also helped create Social Security, the minimum wage, the forty-hour work week, put limits on child labor, passed consumer protection laws, ended Prohibition, passed the Wagner Act, and helped create the UN.
On top of it all, he proposed a Second Bill of Rights to the Constitution, which would have included a right to healthcare, education, freedom from monopolies, and more.
Johnson took over after the unfortunate death of Kennedy. Once President, he passed several civil rights bills, consumer protection laws, environmental protection laws, made the food stamps program permanent, created Medicare and Medicaid, increased federal funding of public schools, and so on.
LBJ was a socialist as well who wasted billions of dollars and increased taxes. I think he was a very bad president.
Teddy began the process of breaking up large monopolies, which were devastating the public. He also passed consumer protection laws. He would later run as a Progressive, or a Bull Moose. His platform included national healthcare, social insurance, a minimum wage, an eight-hour workday, limits on lobbying, an inheritance tax, the direct election of senators, and women's suffrage.
Here's the thing: Jimmy Carter was a great man. I liked many of his social policies. However, he just was not a great leader. Jimmy Carter's fiscal policies were lacking, as well as his foreign policy.
Well, hey, I wish Jimmy Carter luck later in his life, and may God bless him! All in all, Jimmy Carter was definitely not my favorite president, but he was a great man. I just thought that fiscally and in foreign policy, Carter was just too far to the left for me, even though I loved his personality.
Carter tried to implement a single-payer system during his term but failed. However, he did pass consumer protection laws, environmental protection laws, loosened immigration quotas, pursued nuclear disarmament, promoted human rights, brought peace between Israel and Egypt, and created the Departments of Education and Energy. He was also the first President to openly call for equal rights for members of the LGBTQ community and supported the Equal Rights Amendment. After his Presidency, he has called for the decriminalization of marijuana and prostitution and has shown concern over the growing amount of wealth inequality.
Obama, during his term, passed the Affordable Care Act, which expanded healthcare access to millions. He's the first President since LBJ to get any major healthcare reform passed by Congress. On top of that, he supported marriage equality for same-sex couples, fought for equal pay, cut taxes for low-income families, passed a stimulus package to prevent a depression, passed consumer protection laws, addressed the threat of climate change, created DACA, and let up on the War on Drugs.
Barack Obama was awesome! He was eloquent, funny, and cared about people. He was a shining example of what it means to be a good person. He treated others with dignity and respect, while at the same time calling out bad behavior.
He was met by resistance at every turn and was still able to get through some programs to help people versus big business. I don't think Republicans currently work for the people of America, and I miss President Obama and, frankly, common sense!
Truman took over the presidency after the death of FDR. He wasted no time in getting the US into the UN, expanding Social Security, raising the minimum wage, loosening immigration quotas, expanding aid to public schools, and passing some minor civil rights legislation.
Like FDR, he proposed a Fair Deal, which would've included single-payer healthcare, free public education, federal employment programs, increased aid to veterans, etc.
Kennedy weakly supported civil rights, helped create Medicare, passed the Equal Pay Act, created the Peace Corps, began the space race, expanded Social Security and food stamps, and raised the minimum wage.
Nixon was a strong proponent of civil rights for African Americans. He also passed more environmental legislation than any other President in history. He created the EPA and OSHA. He passed consumer protection laws. He almost implemented a system similar to the Affordable Care Act. He almost implemented a guaranteed income, but was dissuaded from doing so. He supported strict, and I mean strict, gun control. He could have been a great President if it wasn't for his disastrous foreign policy and, of course, Watergate.
Abraham Lincoln was a very progressive president. Besides passing the 13th Amendment to free the slaves, he also strengthened the US Banking System by making the first Federal Reserve Note. He created the first continental railroad and more. These benefited all Americans, what can be more progressive and liberal than that!
Equality, a cornerstone of American liberalism.
Freeing slaves is one of the most liberal things a president has ever done.
Ford was an advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment, which was generally opposed by conservatives at the time. He also passed consumer protection laws, environmental protection laws, established special education throughout the US, created the Earned Income Tax Credit, or the EITC, pardoned Vietnam draft dodgers, made modest reforms in surveillance and CIA activities, expanded antitrust laws, and was pro-choice. After his presidency, he would oppose the Iraq War.
Constantly clashing with Conservatives of "his" party, being a running mate of Nixon while being buddies with Carter post-presidency… These three presidents in a row with their liberal policies ran us into one of the worst conditions the U.S. has ever been in.
Clinton, like Carter, tried to implement universal healthcare but failed. He did, however, pass the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which made it easier for people to retain their insurance. He also passed the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Violence Against Women Act, expanded the EITC, negotiated the somewhat successful Oslo Accords, increased funding to fight AIDS, implemented a now-expired Assault Weapons Ban, implemented the Brady Bill, let homosexuals serve in the military, and pursued nuclear disarmament.
Born and raised in Queens, New York City, Donald J. Trump received an economics degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania... read more
Most liberal founding father.
"In all those things which deal with people, be liberal, be human. In all those things which deal with the people's money or their economy or their form of government, be conservative."
"The sickly, weakly, timid man fears the people, and is a Tory (Conservative) by nature. The healthy, strong and bold cherishes them, and is formed a Whig (Liberal) by nature."