I'll take Reagan.
In his time as POTUS, FDR fought war on two fronts. The economy and national defense. After 9 years of the Great Depression, FDR couldn't get the great engine of US capitalism back on track. FDR couldn't win the economic war with his policy agenda. FDR did lead America to victory in WWII. Beating Imperialist Japan, nazi Germany and the other Axis powers. In the process, the US economy came roaring back to life.
50 years after FDR, Ronald Reagan fought war on two fronts also. Reagan cut taxes, lowered inflation and put the American economy back on track. Reagan won the economic war. After 40 years of military confrontation between the worlds two superpowers, Reagan's initiative of "Peace through Strength" finally won the Cold War. In the process Reagan ended Euro-communism and toppled the Soviet Union. Not bad at all.
Reagan loved FDR.
I loved Reagan.
In his time as POTUS, FDR fought war on two fronts . . .50 years after FDR, Ronald Reagan fought war on two fronts also . . .
Add a third front to Reagan's war: The expansion of the federal government, which was started by none other than FDR himself.
I think Reagan was sucessful on this front as well, with all the deregulation he initiated.
FDR is so flawed in my view. He is not without some merit but I have a hard time overlooking what we know and understand now about how he really paved the way for Leviathan.
Most post modernists put Lincoln at the top. I appreciate Lincoln's generous terms he would have offered to my region but myself I place him somewhat below Washington, Madison, Jefferson and then maybe Abe. In the next tier is most definitely Ronaldus Magnus and others.
It's another thing to list Presidents we like versus those who were effective. With Reagan it's a twofer.
What I most liked about him when he ruled(lol) in my mid 20s was that he usually said exactly what he meant and not what he thought was politically expedient. So rare...so refreshing.
FDR came upon a fork in the Road.
Reagan faced an endless road and said we need to build an off ramp.
In my book that is more significant.