The head of state and government of the United States of America falls under the auspices of the President who oversees the executive branch of the federal government as well serves as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.
Although is it widely assumed that the popular vote elects the President, it is the enigmatic electoral colleges that determines/elects the Presidency. During the 20th and 21st century 19 men have assumed this position commencing with Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) to the current/incumbent President, Barack Obama (2009- ).
In terms of accomplishments, personality, leadership, and personal appearance I rank the most influential Presidents (in a term, successive manner) as follows: Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Woodrow Wilson, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, James Carter, and Barack Obama.
Both Roosevelts and Kennedy are distinguishable because of their exuberant personality which coupled with their leadership ability ranked them as highly influential.
Theodore Roosevelt’s robust personality along with his non-political interests a hunter, explorer, writer, soldier, and naturalist accentuated his fame. His leadership technique and policies were governed by a fundamental creed – The Big Stick Ideology. In paraphrasing, one will accomplish their objective with soft spoken words but a visible/invisible big stick.
With his Square Deal policy, the elder Roosevelt was the first 19th century President to advance/promote American naval military might (The Great White Fleet). Serving two terms consecutively, Franklin D. Roosevelt (otherwise known as FDR), came to office during a time of great economic upheaval world wide (The Great Depression) as well the World War II.
He instituted/launched the New Deal which infused and brought about economic recovery via a variety of complex programs (influx of government jobs to combat unemployment) and reforms (regulation of Wall Street, banks, etc.). To date, he is the only American to be elected to the Presidency more than two terms, dying in office at the commencement of his fourth term.
Kennedy’s youthful aura and charisma catapulted him into the category of most physically attractive President. During his brief Presidency five major events occurred which would have a national as well international impact, even to this day: The of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the construction of the Berlin Wall, the Space Race Program, the African American Civil Rights Movement, and the early phases of the Vietnam War.
Kennedy exercised/demonstrated decision-making agility and adhered to a leadership creed that he first and foremost must be accountable and those under his auspices must be accountable to him.
He believed that a nation was only as strong as it citizens make it to be and thru various programs (The New Frontier, the Peace Corps, etc.) intended to have a national as well international influence, he was determined to eradicate the four major ills of making – tyranny, poverty, disease, and war. Tragically, he is one of four American Presidents to be assonated while in office.
Wilson, Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, Nixon, and Carter are influential because of the various ideologies and policies/programs they launched. Wilson, via his Wilsonian ideology, laid the foundation for American intervention into international via militarism to promote democracy. To this day this contentious philosophy t governs American Foreign Policy.
The Truman and Eisenhower administrations laid the foundation for the nuclear weaponry build-up and America being at the forefront. Johnson furthered the development of domestic policies/ programs to eliminate poverty and racial discrimination (Great Society, Medicare, Civil Rights Act of 1964, etc.).
The initiation of U.S./China diplomatic relations can be accredited to Nixon. Carter’s distinction is the Camp David Accords/The Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. Barack Obama’s signature mark is that he is the first African-American to be elected to the office of the Presidency.