KENNEDY MOST ADMIRED of LAST NINE PRESIDENTS; REAGAN SLIPS by Louis Harris

The Harris Survey

For Release: Thursday AM, August 25th, 1983 1983 *68 ISSN 0273-1037

KENNEDY MOST ADMIRED OF LAST NINE PRESIDENTS; REAGAN SLIPS By Louis Harris

Twenty years after he was assassinated, John F. Kennedy still rates best overall of the past nine presidents, according to the latest Harris Survey testing eight key attributes of leadership. The other president who scores consistently well is Franklin O. Roosevelt. President Ronald Reagan wins the dubious honor of caring least about "the elderly, the poor, and those most in economic trouble."

In a special poll of 1,252 adults nationwide, taken by telephone between July 14th and 18th, the Harris Survey asked Americans to choose among the last nine occupants of the White House on eight key dimensions, five positive and three negative. On the five positive attributes:

--Kennedy "most inspired confidence in the White House," according to 40 percent of Americans, followed by Roosevelt at 23 percent, then Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower at 8 percent. The other five presidents, including Reagan, trailed off.

--60 percent cite Kennedy as having had "the most appealing personality," followed by FOR at a distant 11 percent and Reagan at 8 percent.

--On which president was "best in domestic affairs," Kennedy edges Roosevelt by 27-22 percent, with none of the remaining seven presidents receiving more than 8 per cent. Last year, Roosevelt led Kennedy by 26-24 percent in this category.

--On who "cared most about the elderly, the poor, and those most in economic trouble," JFK barely leads Roosevelt by 27-26 percent, followed by Jimmy Carter at 12 percent. The rest are far back in this category.

--"Best in foreign policy" honors are accorded to Richard Nixon, whose 25 percent puts him just ahead of Kennedy at 21 percent, followed by Roosevelt at 14 percent. Nixon has finished in the top position on foreign affairs since 1972, when the Harris Survey first asked the public about recent presidents. He is admired for having opened up diplomatic relations with Communist China and for his policy of detente with the Soviet Union.

But Nixon also is most often named in one of the negative categories:

--46 percent of the public singles out Nixon for having set "the lowest moral standards" in the White House. He has led in this dimension for the last seven years. Kennedy finishes a distant second at 10 percent, followed by Lyndon Johnson at 7 percent and Reagan at 5 percent.

President Reagan is singled out in one of the three negative categories:

--29 percent name Reagan for not caring about the least privileged in society, followed by Nixon at 18 percent. Reagan's problem, of course, stems from the widely held view that he has favored the rich and big business and his programs have caused real suffering for the poor and elderly.

Jimmy Carter heads the list on the third negative attribute:

--35 percent cite Carter as the recent president "least able to get things done," followed by Gerald Ford at 15 percent and Nixon at 11 percent. The perception of

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Carter as a chief executive who was "all thumbs" still lingers.

The Kennedy phenomenon, of course, can be directly traced to his having been a martyred president. In the minds of many Americans he has become a symbol of bright, attractive, youthful leadership whose full potential was never realized. In the next few months, people will be recalling the events in Dallas two decades ago, and this symbolism is likely to grow.

The results of this year's Harris Survey on recent presidents indicate that Ronald Reagan's stature is not improving. Indeed, the survey points up some of the problems likely to dog him if he decides to run for re-election next year. On inspiring confidence in the White House, he has slipped from 9 to 6 percent over the past year. On having "the most appealing personality," he has gone from 13 to 8 percent. On being "least able to get things done," he has gone up from 5 to 7 percent. And, of course, he is widely criti cized for lacking compassion for the elderly and the poor.

TAB L E S

Between July "14th and 18th, the Harris Survey asked a cross section of 1,252 adults nationwide by telephone:

"I'd like to ask you about the last nine presidents of the United States. Please keep in mind Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan. If you had to choose one, which president do you think (READ EACH ITEM)?"

PAST PRESIDENTS

1983 1982 -% -%

Most inspired confidence in the White House

Ronald Reagan 6 9 Jimmy Carter 3 4 Gerald Ford 2 3 Richard Nixon 2 2 Lyndon B. Johnson 1 2 John F. Kennedy 40 33 Dwight D. Eisenhower 8 9 Harry S. Truman 8 6 Franklin D. Roosevelt 23 26 Not sure 7 6

Was the most appealing personality

Ronald Reagan 8 13 Jimmy Carter 4 6 Gerald Ford 2 3 Richard Nixon 1 2 Lyndon B. Johnson 1 1 John F. Kennedy 60 56 Dwight D. Eisenhower 6 4 Harry S. Truman 3 2 Franklin D. Roosevelt 11 11 Not sure 4 2

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PAST PRESIDENTS (CONT.)

1983 1982 -% -%

Was best in domestic affairs

Ronald Reagan 6 6 Jimmy Carter 5 6 Gerald Ford 3 4 Richard Nixon 4 3 Lyndon B. Johnson 6 5 John F. Kennedy 27 24 Dwight D. Eisenhower 7 7 Harry S. Truman 8 7 Franklin D. Roosevelt 22 26 Not sure 12 12

Cared most about the elderly, the poor, and those most in economic trouble

Ronald Reagan 5 x Jimmy Carter 12 X Gerald Ford 2 X Richard Nixon 1 X Lyndon B. Johnson 7 X John F. Kennedy 27 X Dwight D. Eisenhower 3 X Harry S. Truman 7 X Franklin D. Roosevelt 26 X Not sure 10 X

Cared least about the elderly, the poor, and those most in economic trouble

Ronald Reagan 29 X Jimmy Carter 5 X Gerald Ford 4 X Richard Nixon 18 X Lyndon B. Johnson 8 X John F. Kennedy 2 X Dwight D. Eisenhower 5 X Harry S. Truman 2 X Franklin D. Roosevelt 2 X Not sure 25 X

Was best in foreign affairs

Ronald Reagan 4 5 Jimmy Carter 6 8 Gerald Ford 2 3 Richard Nixon 25 22 Lyndon B. Johnson 1 1 John F. Kennedy 21 21 Dwight D. Eisenhower 9 8 Harry S. Truman 9 8 Franklin D. Roosevelt 14 14 Not sure 9 10

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... THE HARRIS SURVEY August 25th, 1983

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PAST PRESIDENTS OCONT.)

1983 1982 -% -%

Set the lowest moral standards

Ronald Reagan 5 5 Jimmy Carter 4 8 Gerald Ford 2 2 Richard Nixon 46 53 Lyndon B. Johnson 7 8 John F. Kennedy 10 7 Dwight D. Eisenhower 2 1 Harry S. Truman 2 1 Franklin D. Roosevelt 3 2 Not sure 19 13

Was least able to get things done

Ronald Reagan 7 5 Jimmy Carter 35 41 Gerald Ford 15 15 Richard Nixon 11 13 Lyndon B. Johnson 9 9 John F. Kennedy 4 3 Dwight D. Eisenhower 5 4 Harry S. Truman 2 2 Franklin D. Roosevelt 1 1 Not sure 11 7 X Not asked METHODOLOGY

This Harris Survey was conducted by telephone with a representative cross section of adults 18 and over at 1,252 different sampling points within the United States between July 14th and 18th. Figures for age, sex and race were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

In a sample of this size, one can say with 95% certainty that the results are wtihin plus or minus three percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled.

This statement conforms to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

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