What presidents had the most long lasting effects in the development of the US and how?

Answer 1

The answer is a matter of opinion and I do not claim that my answer is the best one but here it is: These are the presidents who had the most lasting effects on the US:

• George Washington- showed that the new Constitution would work and did much to set precedents that made it work.
• Thomas Jefferson - negotiated the Louisiana Purchase.
• James Polk -- settled the Oregon boundary questions and expanded the US to almost its current size.
• Abraham Lincoln- solved the slavery problem and kept the union together.
• Woodrow Wilson -- the first to send US ground troops outside the Western Hemisphere.
• Franklin Roosevelt - paved the way for big government and extensive social programs.

(It is too early to tell the lasting effects of George W. Bush's preemptive war and the huge deficits run up under Bush and Obama. )

Answer 2

Some presidents who had long-lasting effects on the development of the US include George Washington, who set important precedents as the first president, established the framework of the federal government, and helped shape the early foreign policy of the country. Abraham Lincoln is also notable for his leadership during the Civil War, which preserved the Union and abolished slavery. Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies had a significant impact on the US economy and the role of the federal government in addressing economic challenges.