Which President defined their decade the most since the 1950s

[dw93]

Most definitive to least:

1. Reagan in the 80's
2. Bush 43 in the 2000's
3. Nixon in the '70s (if only for Watergate)
4. Clinton in the '90s


I don't think JFK or LBJ were the most definitive people of the 1960s. LBJ's Presidency consisted of the events that would define the decade, but I don't consider him that definitive and JFK's presidency, culturally speaking was more '50s than it was '60s and as his tragic death fades, so to will his level of cultural/political impact. As for the 50's, I agree with Illiniwek that:

if you include the 1950s then I guess Eisenhower, but he was less of a cultural icon than a steady and honorable leader.

Now finally the 2010s. I honestly think it's too soon to say. Personally, I think Obama and Trump will be equally definitive for the decade, especially if the worst of Trump's ideas/policies get implemented.

[dw93]

Eisenhower, Reagan and Clinton had the most public support of the listed options. You can say they defined their decades.

Nixon and Bush were very polarizing. Large swathes of the public hated them from the beginning to the end.

Nixon had quite decent approval ratings (in the 60% range) until Watergate started unfolding.

His 1968 margin of victory wasn't that great compared ti Eisenhower/Reagan/Clinton's landslide wins.

Wallace was the only thing keeping Nixon from a landslide win. Had Wallace not ran, Nixon would've won a landslide.