A recent survey assessing presidential greatness in the United States has placed Donald Trump at the bottom of the list, below even presidents who grappled with the Civil War. Conversely, Joe Biden, the probable Republican candidate for the upcoming election, made his debut at a respectable 14th position.
Conducted by political scientists Justin Vaughn and Brandon Rottinghaus, the survey, outlined in the Los Angeles Times, gathered opinions from 154 scholars, primarily associated with the American Political Science Association. Vaughn and Rottinghaus aimed to create a comprehensive ranking of presidential greatness spanning from George Washington to Joe Biden, following similar surveys conducted in 2015 and 2018.
Participants were asked to rate each president’s overall greatness on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 indicating failure, 50 representing average, and 100 signifying greatness. The researchers then calculated the average scores for each president, determining their ranking accordingly.
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The top of the list remained largely consistent with previous surveys, with Abraham Lincoln securing the first position for his pivotal role in ending slavery and leading the nation through the Civil War. Franklin Delano Roosevelt followed closely for his guidance during the Great Depression and World War II, while George Washington claimed the third spot for securing independence from Britain. Notable figures such as Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and Harry Truman also ranked highly.
Barack Obama, the first Black president and Biden’s former vice president, ascended nine places to seventh in the rankings. Vaughn and Rottinghaus noted shifts in rankings influenced by racial justice movements, particularly in the cases of Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson.
Ulysses S Grant experienced a notable rise in the rankings due to his efforts to protect the rights of freed slaves, despite a presidency marred by corruption. Conversely, Andrew Johnson and James Buchanan, who both held office before pivotal periods in American history, ranked higher than Trump.
Trump’s controversial tenure, marked by a thin legislative record and refusal to concede defeat to Biden, culminating in the Capitol riot, sets him apart as a highly polarizing figure in presidential history. Additionally, his post-presidency has been shadowed by numerous criminal charges stemming from his actions in office and on the campaign trail.
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