Who is the most underrated President in history?

[WillK]

James K. Polk and Chester A. Arthur are extremely underrated.

Coolidge was a horrible President. Anyone who looks at things like I do will likely agree.

Polk often gets rated high, so I dont see him as underrated.

[WillK]

Woodrow Wilson.

Are you #$%^#%&* kidding me??

[WillK]

Andrew Jackson

I've always seen him in the top 10, where exactly would you put him?

It put him in the bottom half, so I could understand that some people think he is underrated. 

Edit:  Though I am surprised that 'State Rights' considers Andrew 'Secession is Treason' Jackson as underrated. 

[WillK]

Andrew Jackson

I've always seen him in the top 10, where exactly would you put him?

It put him in the bottom half, so I could understand that some people think he is underrated. 

Jackson did what needed to be done to end the Indian wars in the east. It's sad that it had to happen that way, but really, random attacks and murder of families is unacceptable to allow to go unanswered.

So yours answer is to round up the families; destroy their homes, churches, etc; and force them to move??

[WillK]

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Oh, I disagree.   

[WillK]

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Oh, I disagree.   

Then how would you have proposed to end the Seminole wars in Florida and other white civilian massacres throughout the south? Using early 19th century methods.

The Seminole War during Jackson's term was the result of his policy.  I agree with what one of the US Army officers wrote in his journal:  "The government is in the wrong, and this is the chief cause of the persevering opposition of the Indians, who have nobly defended their country against our attempt to enforce a fraudulent treaty. The natives used every means to avoid a war, but were forced into it by the tyranny of our government."

[WillK]

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Oh, I disagree.   

Then how would you have proposed to end the Seminole wars in Florida and other white civilian massacres throughout the south? Using early 19th century methods.

You know, I've been thinking about this much of the day and I have to admit you have a point.  As much as I think that another solution could have been found, I cant think of one that would have been possible in the political climate of the time.   Its not the "early 19th century methods" that I think are the issue, its the political situation of the time.  Either the federal government had to move the Cherokee or Georgia was going to do it for them.   

[WillK]

Warren Harding

Other than not turning a post-war recession into something worse, what did he do?

You think prosperity is worse than recession??

Underrated means that is wasnt as bad as is commonly said.  Harding is commonly listed at the bottom, so it shouldn't take much to make him underrated.

He brought peace, freedom & prosperity after the war, repression, recession & riots of Wilson.
He ended Wilson's segregation of federal offices & supporting anti-lynching legislation
He reduced taxes and reducing the government control of businesses instituted in the Wilson years
He pushed through the Budget & Accounting Act which created the more systematic federal budgeting system we are accustomed to today.
He brought about the Washington Naval Agreement which was an impressive naval arms control agreement. He signed peace treaties with Germany and Austria, which replaced Wlson's failed Treaty of Versailles. He dealt successfully with Labor and Business regarding strikes and work conditions in the steel industry. He established the VA
He made some strong Cabinet choices -- Hughes, Hoover, Mellon, Wallace, Davis, Weeks; but also some bad ones -- Denby, Fall, Daugherty.

[WillK]

Cooldige, Nixon, Cleveland, John Adams.

Those four two.

You realize, do you not, that Nixon and Adams were philosophically antithetical to Coolidge and Cleveland? Two of the above wanted to decrease the size and scope of the Federal government; two of the above massively expanded it. Care to take a guess as to who did what?

I'll take a guess.
Expanded government:  Cleveland (signed the bill creating the Interstate Commerce Commission and used the army against labor unions) and Nixon (wage and price controls, EPA, OSHA, Consumer Product Safety Commission)