Top 25 US Presidents According to Historians

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TOP 25 US PRESIDENTS
A PERSPECTIVE

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FOREWORD
THE UNITED STATES PRESIDENCY
For C-SPAN's most recent Presidential Historians Survey, conducted in 2017, nearly 100 historians and
biographers rated 43 US presidents. The 2017 C-SPAN survey measured 10 qualities of presidential leadership:
public persuasion, crisis leadership, economic management, moral authority, international relations,
administrative skills, relations with Congress, vision, pursued equal justice for all, and performance within the
context of his times. Historians agree: Abraham Lincoln was the best US president. Scores in each category were
then averaged, and the 10 categories were given equal weighting in determining the presidents' total scores.
George Washington came in at No. 2, followed by Franklin D. Roosevelt at No. 3. George H. W. Bush ranked at
No. 20, beating out his son George W. Bush who came in at No. 33. Other notable commanders in chief included
John F. Kennedy at No. 8, Ronald Reagan at No. 9, and Barack Obama at No. 12. Here are the top 25 presidents,
according to historians surveyed by C-SPAN.

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ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Abraham Lincoln (16th president) ranks best for
his crisis leadership, administrative skills, vision,
and pursued equal justice for all.
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15,
1865) was an American statesman and lawyer who
served as the 16th president of the United States
from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln
led the nation through the American Civil War, the
country's greatest moral, constitutional, and
political crisis. Lincoln was born into poverty in a
log cabin and was raised on the frontier primarily
in Indiana. History.com calls Lincoln's Gettysburg
Address "arguably the most-quoted, most-
memorized piece of oratory in American history."
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GEORGE WASHINGTON
George Washington (first president) ranks highly
for his economic management, moral authority,
and performance within the context of his times.
George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December
14, 1799) was an American political leader, military
general, statesman, and Founding Father who
served as the first president of the United States
from 1789 to 1797. He presided at the
Constitutional Convention of 1787, which
established the U.S. Constitution. Washington has
been called the "Father of His Country" for his
manifold leadership in the formative days of the
nation. Washington remains the only president to
not have been affiliated with a political party
during his time in office.
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FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT
Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd president) ranked
highly for his public persuasion and handling of
international relations.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April
12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was
an American politician who served as the 32nd
president of the United States from 1933 until his
death in 1945. A member of the Democratic Party,
he won a record four presidential elections.
Roosevelt directed the federal government during
most of the Great Depression, implementing his
New Deal domestic agenda in response to the worst
economic crisis in U.S. history. FDR is the only
president to have served more than two terms,
dying in April 1945 at the start of his fourth term.
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THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Theodore Roosevelt (26th president) ranked
highly for his public persuasion.
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January
6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy Roosevelt or his
initials T. R., was an American statesman,
conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer,
who served as the 26th president of the United
States from 1901 to 1909. He previously served as
33rd governor of New York from 1899 to 1900 and
the 25th vice president of the United States from
March to September 1901. Roosevelt emerged as a
leader of the Republican Party and became a
driving force for the anti-trust policy while
supporting Progressive Era policies in the early
20th century.
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DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th president) ranked
highly for his moral authority.
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower GCB OM GCS
CCLH KC (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was
an American politician and soldier who served as
the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to
1961. During World War II, he became a five-star
general in the Army and served as Supreme
Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in
Europe. He was responsible for planning and
supervising the invasion of North Africa in
Operation Torch in 1942–43 and the successful
invasion of Normandy in 1944–45. Eisenhower
founded NASA and signed a law that would create
the Interstate Highway System.
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HARRY S. TRUMAN
Harry S. Truman (33rd president) ranked highly
for his crisis leadership and his pursued equal
justice for all.
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972)
was the 33rd president of the United States from
1945 to 1953, succeeding upon the death of Franklin
D. Roosevelt after serving as the 34th vice
president. He implemented the Marshall Plan to
rebuild Western Europe, and established the
Truman Doctrine and NATO. Truman was elected
to the United States Senate from Missouri in 1934
and gained national prominence as chairman of the
Truman Committee. Truman took over as president
when Franklin Delano Roosevelt died. He led the
US through the final stages of World War II.
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THOMAS JEFFERSON
Thomas Jefferson (third president) ranked highly
for his relations with Congress and his vision.
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was
an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer,
architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who
served as the third president of the United States
from 1801 to 1809. He had previously served as the
2nd vice president of the United States between
1797-1801. The principal author of the Declaration
of Independence, Jefferson was a proponent of
democracy, republicanism, and individual rights,
motivating American colonists to break from the
Kingdom of Great Britain and form a new nation.
Jefferson vastly expanded the US borders through
the Louisiana Purchase with France.
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JOHN F.KENNEDY
John F. Kennedy (35th president) ranked highly
for public persuasion.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 –
November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials
JFK, was an American politician who served as the
35th president of the United States from January
1961 until his assassination in November 1963.
Kennedy served at the height of the Cold War, and
the majority of his work as president concerned
relations with the Soviet Union and Cuba. A
Democrat, Kennedy represented Massachusetts in
both houses of the U.S. Congress prior to becoming
president. Kennedy became the youngest man and
first Catholic elected president.
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RONALD REAGAN
Ronald Reagan (40th president) ranked highly for
his public persuasion.
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5,
2004) was an American politician who served as the
40th president of the United States from 1981 to
1989 and became a highly influential voice of
modern conservatism. Prior to his presidency, he
was a Hollywood actor and union leader before
serving as the 33rd governor of California from
1967 to 1975. Reagan was raised in a low-income
family in small towns of northern Illinois. He
graduated from Eureka College in 1932 and worked
as a radio sports commentator.
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LYNDON B. JOHNSON
Lyndon B. Johnson (36th president) ranked highly
for his relations with Congress.
Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January
22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was
an American politician who served as the 36th
president of the United States from 1963 to 1969,
and previously as 37th vice president from 1961 to
1963. He assumed the presidency following the
assassination of President John F. Kennedy. A
Democrat from Texas, Johnson also served as a
United States Representative and as the Majority
Leader in the United States Senate. Johnson is one
of only four people who have served in all four
federal elected positions.
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WOODROW WILSON
Woodrow Wilson (28th president) ranked highly
for his "vision," according to historians.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 –
February 3, 1924) was an American politician and
academic who served as the 28th president of the
United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the
Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of
Princeton University and as the 34th governor of
New Jersey before winning the 1912 presidential
election. As president, he oversaw the passage of
progressive legislative policies unparalleled until
the New Deal in 1933. He also led the United States
into World War I in 1917, establishing an activist
foreign policy known as Wilsonianism. He was the
leading architect of the League of Nations.
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BARACK OBAMA
Barack Obama (44th president) ranked highly for
his pursuit of equal justice for all.
Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is an
American politician and attorney who served as the
44th president of the United States from 2009 to
2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama
was the first African-American president of the
United States. He previously served as a U.S.
senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and an
Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004. Obama was
born in Honolulu, Hawaii. After graduating from
Columbia University in 1983, he worked as a
community organizer in Chicago. In 1988, he
enrolled in Harvard Law School. Obama won the
Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.
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JAMES MONROE
James Monroe (fifth president) ranked highly for
his handling of international relations.
James Monroe (April 28, 1758 – July 4, 1831) was an
American statesman, lawyer, diplomat and
Founding Father who served as the fifth president
of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member
of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was
the last president of the Virginia dynasty; his
presidency coincided with the Era of Good
Feelings. He is perhaps best known for issuing the
Monroe Doctrine, a policy of opposing European
colonialism in the Americas. The president lent his
name to the Monroe Doctrine, which asserted Latin
America was under the US's sphere of influence.
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JAMES K. POLK
James K. Polk (11th president) ranked highly for
his crisis leadership and administrative skills.
James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15,
1849) was the 11th president of the United States,
serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was
Speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–
1839) and Governor of Tennessee (1839–1841). A
protégé of Andrew Jackson, he was a member of
the Democratic Party and an advocate of Jacksonian
democracy. Polk is chiefly known for extending the
territory of the United States through the Mexican–
American War; during his presidency, the United
States expanded significantly with the annexation
of the Republic of Texas, the Oregon Territory, and
the Mexican Cession.
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BILL CLINTON
Bill Clinton (42nd president) ranked high for
economic management.
William Jefferson Clinton (born August 19, 1946) is
an American lawyer and politician who served as
the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to
2001. A member of the Democratic Party, Clinton
was known as a New Democrat, and many of his
policies reflected a centrist "Third Way" political
philosophy. He is the husband of former secretary
of state, former U.S. senator, and two-time
candidate for president Hillary Clinton. Clinton
was born and raised in Arkansas and attended
Georgetown University, University College,
Oxford, and Yale Law School.
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WILLIAM McKINLEY
William McKinley Jr. (25th president) ranked
highly for his relations with Congress.
William McKinley (January 29, 1843 – September
14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States
from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. During his
presidency, McKinley led the nation to victory in
the Spanish–American War, raised protective tariffs
to promote American industry, and kept the nation
on the gold standard in a rejection of the
expansionary monetary policy of free silver.
McKinley was the last president to have served in
the American Civil War and the only one to have
started the war as an enlisted soldier, beginning as
a private in the Union Army and ending as a brevet
major.
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JAMES MADISON
James Madison (fourth president) ranked highly
for moral authority.
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836)
was an American statesman, diplomat,
expansionist, philosopher, and Founding Father
who served as the fourth president of the United
States from 1809 to 1817. He is hailed as the "Father
of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting
and promoting the Constitution of the United
States and the United States Bill of Rights. He co-
wrote The Federalist Papers, co-founded the
Democratic-Republican Party, and served as the
fifth United States Secretary of State from 1801 to
1809. James Madison drafted and helped ratify the
Bill of Rights before becoming president.
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ANDREW JACKSON
Andrew Jackson (seventh president) had strong
public persuasion during his tenure, according to
historians.
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845)
was an American soldier and statesman who
served as the seventh president of the United States
from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the
presidency, Jackson gained fame as a general in the
United States Army and served in both houses of
the U.S. Congress. An expansionist president,
Jackson sought to advance the rights of the
"common man" against a "corrupt aristocracy" and
to preserve the Union. Jackson's supporters helped
found the Democratic party after he lost the 1824
presidential election.
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JOHN ADAMS
John Adams (second president) ranked highly for
his "moral authority."
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was
an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer,
and Founding Father who served as the second
president of the United States, from 1797 to 1801.
Before his presidency, he was a leader of the
American Revolution that achieved independence
from Great Britain, and he served as the first vice
president of the United States. Adams was a
dedicated diarist and regularly corresponded with
many important figures in early American history,
including his wife and adviser Abigail Adams and
Thomas Jefferson.
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GEORGE H.W. BUSH
George H. W. Bush (41st president) ranked high
in how he handled international relations.
George Herbert Walker Bush (June 12, 1924 –
November 30, 2018) was an American politician,
diplomat and businessman who served as the 41st
president of the United States from 1989 to 1993. A
member of the Republican Party, Bush also served
as the 43rd vice president from 1981 to 1989, in the
U.S. House of Representatives, as U.S. Ambassador
to the United Nations, and as Director of Central
Intelligence. Bush conducted military operations in
Panama and the Persian Gulf during his tenure.
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JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
John Quincy Adams (sixth president) ranked well
for his moral authority and relations with other
countries.
John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767 – February 23,
1848) was an American statesman, diplomat,
lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth
president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829.
He previously served as the eighth United States
Secretary of State from 1817 to 1825. During his
long diplomatic and political career, Adams also
served as an ambassador, and as a member of the
United States Senate and House of Representatives
representing Massachusetts. He was the eldest son
of John Adams, the second US president from 1797
to 1801, and First Lady Abigail Adams.
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ULYSSES S. GRANT
Ulysses S. Grant (18th president) ranked well for
his public persuasion and international relations.
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April
27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American soldier
and politician who served as the 18th president of
the United States from 1869 to 1877. Before his
presidency, Grant led the Union Army as
Commanding General of the United States Army in
winning the American Civil War. As president,
Grant was an effective civil rights executive who
worked with the Radical Republicans during
Reconstruction to protect African Americans and
re-establish the public credit. He is credited with
rebuilding the U.S. Navy.
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GROVER CLEVELAND
Grover Cleveland (22nd and 24th president)
ranked well for his public persuasion and
administrative skills.
Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837 – June
24, 1908) was an American politician and lawyer
who was the 22nd and 24th president of the United
States, the only president in American history to
serve two non-consecutive terms in office (1885–
1889 and 1893–1897). He won the popular vote for
three presidential elections—in 1884, 1888, and
1892—and was one of two Democrats (with
Woodrow Wilson) to be elected president during
the era of Republican presidential domination
dating from 1861 to 1933.
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WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT
William Howard Taft (27th president) ranked well
for his administrative skills and international
relations.
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March
8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States
(1909–1913) and the tenth Chief Justice of the
United States (1921–1930), the only person to have
held both offices. Taft was elected president in
1908, the chosen successor of Theodore Roosevelt,
but was defeated for re-election by Woodrow
Wilson in 1912 after Roosevelt split the Republican
vote by running as a third-party candidate. In 1921,
President Warren G. Harding appointed Taft to be
chief justice, a position he held until a month before
his death.
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GERALD FORD
Gerald R. Ford (38th president) ranked well for
his moral authority and relations with Congress.
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King
Jr.; July 14, 1913 – December 26, 2006) was an
American politician who served as the 38th
president of the United States from August 1974 to
January 1977. Ford previously served as the 40th
vice president of the United States from December
1973 to August 1974. Ford is the only person until
Joe Biden’s assuming the presidency in 2021 to
have served as both vice president and president
without being elected to either office by the
Electoral College. Gerald R. Ford turned down two
NFL contracts when he graduated college in order
to attend law school at Yale University.
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