(07/06/10) -

Reagan, Clinton Seen as Best Recent U.S. Presidents

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Americans pick two politicians as their best heads of state since 1969, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 32 per cent of respondents think Ronald Reagan has been the best recent president, while 30 per cent select Bill Clinton.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Americans pick two politicians as their best heads of state since 1969, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 32 per cent of respondents think Ronald Reagan has been the best recent president, while 30 per cent select Bill Clinton.

When asked who the worst recent president has been, 33 per cent of respondents select George W. Bush, while 23 per cent choose Barack Obama.

Reagan—a Republican who governed from 1981 to 1989—had been an actor prior to his victory in the 1966 California gubernatorial election. During his two terms in office, Reagan endeavoured to reduce government spending and to lower taxes during a time of high unemployment and inflation in the U.S. While credited for launching several anti-drug campaigns, the president was also criticized for failing to acknowledge the HIV-AIDS epidemic.

Clinton—a Democrat and former governor of Arkansas—won the 1992 U.S. presidential election. His campaign was largely based on a condemnation of the economic recession of the early 1990s. In 1996, Clinton became the first Democrat to serve two terms as president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt, winning 49.2 per cent of all cast ballots and 379 electoral votes. Clinton’s last term in office was tarnished by his admission of an extra-marital affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Earlier this month, Republican South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham discussed the National Tea Party movement, saying, "It’s just unsustainable because they can never come up with a coherent vision for governing the country. It will die out. We don’t have a lot of Reagan-type leaders in our party. Remember Ronald Reagan Democrats? I want a Republican that can attract Democrats. (…) Ronald Reagan would have a hard time getting elected as a Republican today."

Polling Data

We would like to ask you some questions about the people who have served as President of the United States since 1969. Which of these politicians do you think has been the best president since 1969?

And which of these politicians do you think has been the worst president since 1969?

Complete Poll (PDF)