Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965, translating equality into stronger federal protections. His escalation in Vietnam is a grave failure that makes fourth place the most contentious choice on this list.
We put those civil-rights gains above Theodore Roosevelt’s reforms. FDR wins for leading through a wider national and global crisis. If avoiding disastrous war is your first test, Johnson should sit much lower.
Sources: National Archives · Voting Rights Act · Miller Center · Term dates.
Image: Cecil W. Stoughton · CC0. Resized and JPEG compressed.
