As a follow up to Dan... All presidents after Washington voluntarily followed the volunteer 2-term limit until FDR in 1940. It was a crisis year with war breaking out in Europe and little Republican opposition. After winning control of Congress in 1948, Republicans, still smarting after their long string of losses to Roosevelt, managed to ammend the Constitution, making it law that no president may serve more than 2 terms. There was talk in 1988 by Republicans to find a way to allow Reagan to have a 3rd term, but it never went anywhere. It's probably a good thing because most presidents who are elected to two terms, have much less success during their 2nd term. Lincoln is the only exception I can think of. All their success usually occured in their 1st terms. They often endured political setbacks or major scandals that rendered them lame ducks during their 2nd terms. For example: Korean War for Truman, Vietnam for LBJ, Vietnam & Watergate for Nixon, Iran/Contra for Reagan, Monica Lewinsky for Clinton, and Failure to find bin Laden/Weapons of Mass Destruction/Valerie Plame leak/Social Security "reform"/FEMA failure during Hurricane Katrina/growing scandal over Abramof fundraising & lobbying (pick one) for W.
Five Best
OK Lincoln, Washington, both Roosevelts are good choices, but James Polk?!? Maybe that's a good reason to include Polk on both lists. How about Harry Truman instead of Polk? How about Lyndon Johnson on both lists? He passed the Civil Rights Ammendment and got us mired in Vietnam.
Five Worst
Thats hardly fair to WH Harrison - he died less than a month after his inauguration. I suggest Rutherford B. Hayes or Calvin Coolidge be added to the Worst list.