FDR’s New Deal reshaped federal government during the Depression, and he led the country through most of World War II. But Executive Order 9066 enabled the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans: a profound violation of rights.
His breadth of crisis leadership puts him above Johnson. Washington’s example of relinquishing power wins second place under our institutional priority. Rank economic security first, and FDR has a convincing case for #1.
Sources: Miller Center · National Archives · Term dates.
Image: Leon Perskie · Public domain. Resized and JPEG compressed.
