The Presidential Pantheon
A Scholarly Appraisal of American Leadership
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Overview
The Measure of Leadership
Since the mid-20th century, academic historians and political scientists have regularly conducted surveys to rank the success of United States presidents. These evaluations typically focus on presidential achievements, leadership qualities, perceived failures, and overall character.
Benchmarks of Greatness
Across numerous scholarly rankings, Abraham Lincoln is consistently lauded as the greatest president. Conversely, his predecessor, James Buchanan, is most frequently cited as the least effective, largely due to his handling of the secession crisis leading up to the Civil War.
Evolving Perceptions
These rankings are not static; they evolve with new historical scholarship, changing societal values, and the passage of time. Recent presidents are often subject to more polarized views, while historical figures are viewed through the lens of accumulated historical context.
History of Rankings
Early Surveys
The practice of ranking presidents gained significant academic traction in the mid-20th century. Historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr. conducted an influential survey in 1948, followed by another in 1962 involving 75 historians. His son, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., continued this tradition with a poll in 1996.
Methodological Diversity
Various institutions and publications have undertaken these surveys, employing diverse methodologies. These include polls by the Chicago Tribune (1982), the Siena College Research Institute (beginning in 1982 and continuing periodically), C-SPAN (2000, 2009, 2017, 2021), and analyses by organizations like the American Political Science Association (APSA) and the United States Presidency Centre (USPC).
Global Perspectives
While most rankings originate from American scholars, some efforts have sought broader international perspectives. A 2011 survey by the USPC polled British specialists in American history and politics, offering a comparative viewpoint on presidential performance.
Key Surveys & Criteria
C-SPAN Presidential Leadership Survey
This comprehensive survey, conducted by C-SPAN since 2000, polls presidential historians and biographers. Participants rate presidents on a scale across ten categories: Public Persuasion, Crisis Leadership, Economic Management, Moral Authority, International Relations, Administrative Skills, Relations with Congress, Vision/Setting An Agenda, Pursued Equal Justice for All, and Performance Within the Context of His Times. Results have shown remarkable consistency over the years.
Siena College Research Institute
The Siena College Research Institute has conducted regular surveys since 1982, polling historians and scholars on various attributes and accomplishments. Their methodology often involves assessing presidents during the second year of their first term, providing a consistent benchmark across administrations.
APSA & Murray-Blessing
The American Political Science Association (APSA) has also facilitated expert surveys, notably in 2015 and 2018, assessing presidents based on criteria like leadership qualities and character. The 1982 Murray-Blessing survey notably analyzed rankings based on the political leanings (liberal vs. conservative) of the historians surveyed, revealing minimal divergence on the top and bottom performers.
Presidential Rankings Across Surveys
Below is a compilation of presidential rankings from various scholarly surveys. Click the column headers to sort, and use the scrollbar to navigate the extensive data.
Seq. [b][c] |
President | Party | Siena 2022 |
C-SPAN 2021 |
Siena 2018 |
APSA 2018 |
C-SPAN 2017 |
PHN 2016 |
APSA 2015 |
USPC 2011 |
C-SPAN 2009 |
Times 2008 |
WSJ 2005 |
Siena 2002 |
WSJ 2000 |
C-SPAN 2000 |
Schl. 1996 |
R-McI 1996 |
Siena 1994 |
Siena 1990 |
Siena 1982 |
CT 1982 |
M-B 1982 |
Schl. 1962 |
Schl. 1948 |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | George Washington | Independent | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 (tie) | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
2 | John Adams | Federalist | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
3 | Thomas Jefferson | Democratic-Republican | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
4 | James Madison | Democratic-Republican | 11 | 10 | 16 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 6 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 14 | 12 |
5 | James Monroe | Democratic-Republican | 18 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 8 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 7 | 9 | 7 | ||||
6 | John Quincy Adams | Democratic-Republican | 2 | 34 | 20 | 35 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 29 | 23 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 18 | 4 | 21 | 16 | 26 | 5 | 20 | 21 | 19 | ||||
7 | Andrew Jackson | Democratic | 30 | 2 | 10 | 14 | 27 | 28 | 4 | 38 | 5 | 19 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 23 | 6 | 19 | 5 | 23 | 12 | 13 | 14 | ||||
8 | Martin Van Buren | Democratic | 16 | 13 | 23 | 19 | 24 | 38 | 33 | 13 | 32 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 22 | 27 | 24 | 23 | ||||
9 | William Henry Harrison | Whig | 24 | 30 | 25 | 31 | 33 | 27 | 42 | 35 | 30 | 24 | 37 | 35 | 36 | 30 | 33 | 39 | 24 | 31 | 33 | 34 | 35 | ||||
10 | John Tyler | Whig/ Independent[d] |
33 | 42 | 39 | 42 | 39 | 31 | 22 | 39 | 26 | 34 | 35 | 29 | 34 | 33 | 37 | 35 | 36 | 33 | 32 | 36 | 37 | ||||
11 | James K. Polk | Democratic | 17 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 15 | 7 | 23 | 7 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 18 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 12 | ||||
12 | Zachary Taylor | Whig | 37 | 35 | 28 | 37 | 37 | 24 | 36 | 34 | 28 | 28 | 34 | 27 | 37 | 21 | 31 | 34 | 25 | 37 | 25 | 33 | 33 | ||||
13 | Millard Fillmore | Whig | 40 | 41 | 40 | 38 | 35 | 33 | 25 | 25 | 37 | 35 | 38 | 36 | 35 | 36 | 38 | 33 | 39 | 39 | 30 | 35 | 38 | ||||
14 | Franklin Pierce | Democratic | 38 | 37 | 37 | 41 | 40 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 38 | 35 | 40 | 40 | ||||
15 | James Buchanan | Democratic | 23 | 40 | 41 | 40 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 39 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 40 | 42 | 41 | 43 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 42 | ||||
16 | Abraham Lincoln | Republican | 28 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||
17 | Andrew Johnson | National Union[e] | 42 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 37 | 39 | 43 | 34 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 37 | 41 | 38 | 42 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 43 | ||||
18 | Ulysses S. Grant | Republican | 26 | 28 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 29 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 40 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 34 | 24 | 21 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 26 | ||||
19 | Rutherford B. Hayes | Republican | 29 | 33 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 19 | 18 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 24 | 29 | 31 | ||||
20 | James A. Garfield | Republican | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 32 | 23 | 41 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 31 | 23 | 26 | 22 | 27 | 27 | ||||
21 | Chester A. Arthur | Republican | 41 | 31 | 32 | 27 | 28 | 19 | 14 | 21 | 27 | 26 | 30 | 25 | 20 | 32 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 32 | 17 | 26 | 25 | ||||
22/24 | Grover Cleveland | Democratic | 19 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 24 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 25 | 14 | 19 | 20 | ||||
23 | Benjamin Harrison | Republican | 39 | 32 | 34 | 28 | 30 | 35 | 29 | 30 | 39 | 36 | 36 | 34 | 32 | 31 | 35 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 23 | 32 | 34 | ||||
25 | William McKinley | Republican | 21 | 14 | 19 | 11 | 23 | 18 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 27 | 11 | 20 | 21 | ||||
26 | Theodore Roosevelt | Republican | 6 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||||
27 | William Howard Taft | Republican | 14 | 36 | 29 | 30 | 18 | 20 | 32 | 24 | 36 | 22 | 23 | 30 | 21 | 18 | 25 | 23 | 31 | 18 | 28 | 23 | 24 | ||||
28 | Woodrow Wilson | Democratic | 8 | 8 | 9 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 37 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 29 | 10 | 8 | ||||
29 | Warren G. Harding | Republican | 43 | 38 | 36 | 34 | 36 | 39 | 37 | 26 | 40 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 40 | 42 | 43 | 37 | 41 | 43 | 39 | 41 | 41 | ||||
30 | Calvin Coolidge | Republican | 25 | 24 | 38 | 21 | 26 | 30 | 12 | 28 | 41 | 30 | 32 | 37 | 31 | 17 | 28 | 32 | 33 | 28 | 19 | 28 | 29 | ||||
31 | Herbert Hoover | Republican | 10 | 26 | 31 | 33 | 19 | 43 | 43 | 40 | 42 | 32 | 26 | 38 | 41 | 13 | 29 | 36 | 37 | 14 | 40 | 38 | 36 | ||||
32 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Democratic | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |||
33 | Harry S. Truman | Democratic | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | ||
34 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Republican | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 21 (tie) | โ | |
35 | John F. Kennedy | Democratic | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 8 | โ | โ | ||
36 | Lyndon B. Johnson | Democratic | 9 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | โ | โ | ||
37 | Richard Nixon | Republican | 35 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 33 | 28 | 26 | 34 | 23 | 30 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 31 | 23 | 26 | 22 | 27 | 27 | ||||
38 | Gerald Ford | Republican | 27 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 32 | 17 | 26 | 25 | ||||
39 | Jimmy Carter | Democratic | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 18 | 26 | 18 | 32 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 33 | 27 | 25 | โ | โ | ||
40 | Ronald Reagan | Republican | 16 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 8 | 15 | 26 | 20 | 22 | 16 | โ | โ | |||
41 | George H. W. Bush | Republican | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 24 | 22 | 31 | 18 | โ | โ | |||
42 | Bill Clinton | Democratic | 12 | 14 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 8 | 19 | 13 | 15 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 16 | โ | โ | ||||
43 | George W. Bush | Republican | 32 | 35 | 29 | 29 | 33 | 28 | 26 | 34 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 19 | 23 | โ | โ | ||||||||
44 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 7 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 18 | (8)[f] | 15 | โ | โ | |||||||||||||
45/47 | Donald Trump | Republican | 45 | 43 | 41 | 42 | 44 | โ | โ | ||||||||||||||||||
46 | Joe Biden | Democratic | 14 | 19 | โ | โ | |||||||||||||||||||||
Total surveyed[b][c] | 45 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 41 | 43 | 40 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 40 | 42 | 39 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 36 | 36 | 31 | 29 |
Notable Rankings & Trends
The Pantheon
Consistently appearing in the top tier across most surveys are:
- Abraham Lincoln: Universally recognized for his leadership during the Civil War and abolition of slavery.
- George Washington: Praised for establishing the presidency and guiding the nascent nation.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt: Celebrated for navigating the Great Depression and World War II.
- Theodore Roosevelt: Noted for his progressive reforms, conservation efforts, and trust-busting.
The Lowest Ranks
Conversely, presidents frequently found at the bottom of rankings include:
- James Buchanan: Criticized for inaction preceding the Civil War.
- Andrew Johnson: Condemned for obstructing Reconstruction and impeached.
- Franklin Pierce: Associated with the escalating sectional crisis.
- Warren G. Harding: Often ranked low due to scandals during his administration.
- Donald Trump: Recent surveys place him among the lowest, often cited for breaking norms and challenging democratic institutions.
Shifting Tides
Some presidents experience significant shifts in perception over time. For instance, Ulysses S. Grant has seen a notable rehabilitation in recent rankings, moving up from earlier low placements. Similarly, George W. Bush's standing has improved in some later surveys, reflecting a re-evaluation of his presidency.
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References
References
- Quartiles were determined by splitting the data into an upper and lower half and then splitting these halves each into two quartiles. When splitting an odd total number of rankings, the median is given an intermediate color.
- There have been 45 presidents but 47 presidencies, as Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump were elected to two nonconsecutive terms.
- Obama would place 8th based on provisional scores of the USPC 2011 survey, but was not given a ranking in the final results as he had not yet completed his term when the survey was conducted.
- The average rank as calculated by Siena from the data items in the table. This is usually within a few places of the average evaluation, but more divergent in the cases of Ulysses Grant and Richard Nixon.
- Schlesinger, Arthur M. "Our Presidents: A Rating by 75 Historians". The New York Times. July 1962. pp. 12รขยย13, 40รขยย41, 43.
- "FDR America's Greatest President". August 19, 2002. Archived February 10, 2007.
- Hanes Walton Jr, Robert C. Smith & Sherri L. Wallace, eds. (2021) American Politics and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom. Pearson Longman. 9th edition, p 195รขยย197
- The weights were 5 for "Outstanding", 4 for "Above Average", 3 for "Average", 2 for "Below Average" and 1 for "Poor".
- Zelizer, Julian E. (February 21, 2011). Opinion: "What's wrong with presidential rankings" . CNN Opinion.
- Michael Genovese (2010) "The Leaders We Deserved (And a Few We Didn't): Rethinking the Presidential Rating Game." Presidential Studies Quarterly 40.4: 799รขยย800.
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Important Notice
This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.
This is not professional historical or political advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional consultation or in-depth academic research. Always refer to primary sources and consult with qualified historians or political scientists for nuanced interpretations and definitive analyses.
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