JFK is among the most popular former Presidents of the United States, however a number of critics argue that his reputation is largely undeserved. While he was young and charismatic, he had little chance to achieve much during his presidency. The Civil Rights Act which he sent to Congress in 1963 was, at least in part, conceived by his brother and Attorney-General Robert F. Kennedy, and largely implemented by his successor, Lyndon Johnson, in 1964.

Kennedy's family was connected to the Trade Union Movement, which was long connected to organized crime. On the other hand, Robert Kennedy's attempts to prosecute organized crime figures were among the most resolute to that date.

Kennedy's father is a controversial figure. During his time as Ambassador to the United Kingdom during World War II, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. repeatedly predicted that the British would soon fall to Germany. He is also accused of having Nazi sympathies, but there is little evidence that his comments were more than diplomatic politeness. JFK expressed clear differences with his father's statements regarding these matters.