The Presidential Greatness Project survey is a study that ranks American presidents by their successes as leaders, according to participants. The survey is organized by professors at the University of Houston and Coastal Carolina University. In the 2024 version of the survey, they once again placed Abraham Lincoln at the top spot. However, in a controversial twist, Donald Trump finished in last place.
The Method Behind the Rankings
As part of the methodology, participants were invited to rate presidents on a scale from zero to 100 based on what they saw as their overall greatness. A score of 100 represented a “great” president, 50 was an “average” president, and zero was a “failure” of a president. Then, the scholars behind the study averaged the rankings to create a list from the highest to the lowest scores.
Lincoln’s Unmatched Legacy
Since the survey began, Lincoln has consistently taken the top spot in these rankings. On average, he has received a score of 95.03 from participants. Analysts predict this high approval is due to him being the leader during one of America’s most divisive periods in history. It is clear that participants view him as the benchmark for greatness.
FDR’s Rise and Historical Impact
Like Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt also continues to rank highly, with an average score of 90.83. Many of the participants praised Roosevelt for his leadership during the Great Depression and World War II. He ranked second place in the 2024 list, which is higher than George Washington.
Biden’s Placement
President Biden appeared for the first time in the survey for the 2024 edition. He was placed in the top third of the chart at number 14, with an average score of 62.7. This puts him higher than several other famous presidents, including Andrew Johnson, William Harry Harrison, and James Buchanan.
Trump’s Position and Polarization
Donald Trump appeared at the very bottom of the list in last place, with an average score of 10.92. This is a clear sign of how divisive and controversial his presidency was. Many of the participants spoke about his policies and communication style as being the main factors for their low scores.
The Scientists Speaks
Justin Vaughn is one of the professors involved in the study. Speaking about the latest results, he said, “Lincoln has topped the list all three times we have conducted this survey. Trump was last in 2018 as well, but not included in 2015 because Obama was still president. Lincoln is usually number one, regardless of the survey organization, though occasionally George Washington and even Franklin Delano Roosevelt get ranked number one.”
Reasons for Trump’s Low Scores
Vaughn continued, sharing his reaction to Trump’s low scoring. He said, “Disagreement seems to be particularly strong when we’re talking about current or very recent presidents, and especially so in this instance. One thing worth noting is that many of the characteristics that some supporters of President Trump like the most about him – his willingness to break norms, his style of communication, etc. – are the ones that caused him to be negatively assessed in this survey.”
Public Response
In response to the news that Trump ranked the lowest, several Republican voters took to social media to share their opinions. They criticized the survey, claiming that it was neither relevant nor reliable as a measure of presidential greatness. However, Vaughn acknowledged this, claiming that criticism like this is “natural.”
The Evolution of Presidential Greatness
However, the survey is not important just for understanding people’s views of contemporary presidents. It is also useful to show how historical reevaluations can change people’s views of presidents. As Vaughn says, “Presidents like Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson have been slipping in recent years in our surveys and others, and that tells us a lot about the American presidency and how expectations surrounding it are changing.”
Clear Changes
The report that went along with the survey also noted significant changes. It said, “What is most noteworthy about the remaining presidents concerns who has risen and fallen over time. Since our initial survey, several presidents have had significant changes in their rankings. Barack Obama has risen 9 places (from #16 to #7) […] and Calvin Coolidge has dropped 7 spots (from #27 to #34).”
Grant and Jackson’s Changing Fortunes
Two of these historical re-evaluations include Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew Jackson. Grant has steadily climbed in the rankings, which appears to be due to people reassessing his presidency beyond the scandals. In comparison, Jackson has fallen in the rankings, which is likely due to people criticizing his policies toward Native Americans.
Shifts in Presidential Greatness
Most notably, people’s perspectives of recent Democrat presidents have become more positive, with many of them moving upward in the rankings. In contrast, several Republican presidents fell in the rankings. This suggests that people’s views on the impact and legacy of modern presidents are indeed changing.
Polarizing Presidents
The survey also revealed which presidents were the most and least polarizing. The most polarizing ones (in order) were Trump, Jackson, Obama, Reagan, Nixon, George W. Bush, Johnson, Biden, Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, Clinton, and Wilson. There was a clear divide between Trump and the others, as he scored a 1.4 for average polarization, compared to Jackson in second place with 3.4.
Less Polarizing
Similarly, the least polarizing presidents were George Washington, Eisenhower, Lincoln, Truman, FD. Roosevelt, Kennedy, Monroe, Ford, Theodore Roosevelt, Harrison, and Carter. As the report states, “George Washington is clearly the least polarizing president, selected by 125 respondents and earning a 1.25 average (1 is “least polarizing” ranking).
Obama’s Ranking
Former President Barack Obama has consistently received positive ratings. In the 2024 edition, he ranked in 7th place with an average score of 73.8. This is up one place since the 2018 edition of the survey and up nine places since the 2015 edition. As such, it seems people’s perspectives of his presidency are also improving.
Economic and Policy Influences
Research suggests that economic performance and policy productivity are some of the key factors in determining presidential greatness. Many people believe that having previous experience in the office makes someone a great president. However, these results suggest that presents who deliver real results and are progressive leaders are more likely to be seen positively.
Historical Surveys
Over the years, several surveys have measured people’s opinions on presidents, starting with Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr.’s poll in 1948. In each of these surveys, people’s views of presidents have changed, particularly for people like Dwight D. Eisenhower. This is a clear sign of how people’s view of what makes a good president changes through history.
Comprehensive Surveys Over Time
Another modern version of presidential greatness surveys includes the Siena College Research Institute and C-SPAN’s Survey of Presidential Leadership. Like the former survey, Lincoln often ranks highly in this survey, too. However, unlike this survey, Siena College’s survey polls historians, political scientists, and presidential scholars.
Terrifying Prospects: 12 Moves Trump Could Unleash If Re-elected in 2024
Terrifying Prospects: 12 Moves Trump Could Unleash If Re-elected in 2024
21 Things MAGA Followers Permanently Destroyed For Everyone Else
21 Things MAGA Followers Permanently Destroyed For Everyone Else
America’s 15 Most Miserable States Revealed: Data Shows Places You Don’t Want to Live
America’s 15 Most Miserable States Revealed: Data Shows Places You Don’t Want to Live
12 Ways the World Suffered from Trump’s Reckless Moves
12 Ways the World Suffered from Trump’s Reckless Moves
Trump’s Hit List: 18 Brands That Incited the Wrath of the Former President
Trump’s Hit List: 18 Brands That Incited the Wrath of the Former President