Presidential Ratings: Did the APSA Get it Right?

The American Political Science Association just released a new presidential rankings list. Every President is rated, from incumbent Joe Biden to short-termers such as William Henry Harrison. The choices made have been rather controversial to say the least, and accusations have been made of a left-wing bias. Donald Trump ranks dead last, Barack Obama is 7th, incumbent Biden is 14th and John F. Kennedy is 10th. 

The APSA asked 525 “self-styled experts,” and received 154 usable responses. These experts were asked to rate each President on a scale of 0-100, with 0 being absolute failure, 50 being perfectly average and 100 being absolutely great. Since greatness is such a subjective thing, and other categories were not included, it’s not the most secure list. 

From Best to Worst

1. Abraham Lincoln
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt
3. George Washington 
4. Theodore Roosevelt
5. Thomas Jefferson
6. Harry S. Truman 
7. Barack Obama
8. Dwight D. Eisenhower
9. Lyndon B. Johnson
10. John F. Kennedy
11. James Madison
12. Bill Clinton
13. John Adams
14. Joe Biden
15. Woodrow Wilson
16. Ronald Reagan 
17. Ulysses S. Grant 
18. James Monroe
19. George H. W. Bush
20. John Quincy Adams
21. Andrew Jackson
22. Jimmy Carter
23. William Howard Taft
24. William McKinley
25. James K. Polk
26. Grover Cleveland
27. Gerald Ford
28. Martin Van Buren
29. Rutherford B. Hayes
30. James A. Garfield 
31. Benjamin Harrison
32. George W. Bush
33. Chester A. Arthur 
34. Calvin Coolidge
35. Richard Nixon
36. Herbert Hoover
37. John Tyler
38. Zachary Taylor
39. Millard Fillmore
40. Warren G. Heading
41. William Henry Harrison
42. Franklin Pierce
43. Andrew Johnson 
44. James Buchanan 
45. Donald Trump

Why they’re wrong

So, I’m going to attempt to explain their logic-and why they’re wrong. 

Donald Trump

Former President Trump is a man who inspires extreme loyalty and extreme hatred in equal measures. Whatever you think of him, the fact remains that it’s far, far too early to rate him as a president. Even if you take out the fact that he could be president again soon, it’s been less than four years since his presidency ended. It’s hard to see the lasting impact of his administration, both domestically and internationally. Recency bias?

James Buchanan

This one is fairly understandable, and would usually rank dead last. Buchanan’s inaction regarding growing tensions in the Union essentially ensured that the Civil War was going to happen. He is historically seen as the worst president because of this.

Andrew Johnson

One might feel sympathy for a president following a universally beloved one, but not if they’re Andrew Johnson. Whilst not quite as reviled as Buchanan, Johnson purposefully fumbled Reconstruction. With this in mind, he’s often blamed for not being able to unite the country after the Civil War, and for setting civil rights back.

Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce had the most tragic personal life of any President, and he’s also often ranked extremely poorly. His handling of the slavery issue – specifically the Kansas-Nebraska Act – angered the North. He is seen as generally ineffectual, and his open criticism of Abraham Lincoln damaged his popularity during his life and after.

William Henry Harrison

Can you really rank a President who spent a month in office? No, you cannot, and he should realistically be excluded from rankings.

Warren G. Harding

Beloved in life, criticised in death, the deeply entrenched corruption of Warren G. Harding’s administration means that he’s often ranked as one of America’s worst. Some argue that he merely surrounded himself with bad people, but he didn’t do much to stop them either.

Millard Fillmore

Despite his fabulous name, Fillmore is often more of a forgotten president, but he is still not ranked favourably. His choice to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act damaged both the country and the Whig Party. Whilst mainly a footnote in history, he still has to be ranked.

Zachary Taylor

Having served for less than a year and a half, it’s perhaps difficult to accurately rate Zachary Taylor. He did attempt to preserve the Union to his credit, but he did attempt to pass the buck on the issue of slavery, again making war inevitable. Taylor was also down five since the last poll. 

John Tyler

John Tyler is another President regarded as a forgotten one more than a failure, but he nevertheless generally does poorly. Whilst he definitely set the precedent of a VP becoming actual president instead of an acting one, he never really seemed to do much. 

Herbert Hoover

Few would probably rank Herbert Hoover highly, so this is fairly unsurprising. Historians accuse him of possibly making the Great Depression worse with his poor approach. Whilst he is positively described for his humanitarian work, he is far from a well-regarded leader.

Richard Nixon

Watergate really wrecked Nixon’s reputation, and made him the only President thus far to resign from office. Positive actions, such as his environmentalism, are often forgotten or overlooked. An argument can be made for Watergate damaging Nixon’s presidency, but the trust and security of the system itself. Some believe that Nixon is overly vilified, whilst others think he’s not enough.

Calvin Coolidge

This is one that might get a few tongues wagging. Coolidge’s laissez-faire approach to the economy and government itself is not for everyone, but others point out the general prosperity of the era. To put him only one above the man who covered-up the break in of his political opponents seems unfair. He was also down by six since the last poll, which shows a definite decrease in popularity. 

George W. Bush

The War on Terror, especially the Iraq War, is very controversial to say the least. His significant popularity immediately following 9/11 is overshadowed by this, as well as other measures such as education reform. That being said, he’s enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance, having jumped up three places since the 2015 poll.

Benjamin Harrison

The survey did not bother to distinguish which Harrison was in which position in the table itself. Anyway, Harrison is historically seen as an average President. He admitted a large number of states into the Union, but the economic policies of Congress angered voters. He’s generally another forgotten president, but more successful than others.

James Garfield

Having been President for only 200 days, and incapacitated for 79 of them, it is again wrong to include him in the rankings. 

Rutherford B. Hayes

His election was certainly controversial enough, but one might say that he’s oddly high. Historically, Hayes is attacked for ending Reconstruction, but praised for his moral character and keeping his promise of only serving one term. He’s the most remembered of the forgettable Presidents.

Martin Van Buren

All but assured the presidency thanks to Andrew Jackson’s popularity and campaigning, Martin Van Buren often falls into the “oh, I think I’ve heard of him” category. It’s a strangely high ranking for the man whose handling of the Panic of 1837 made him wildly unpopular. 

Gerald Ford

Sandwiched between two generally unpopular presidents, Ford is surprisingly below successor Jimmy Carter. Ford’s pardon of Nixon remains controversial to this day, but he was able to restore some confidence in the presidency. His presidency seemed to be considered almost a temporary one, and perhaps sympathy is given to his situation.

Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland usually scores higher than halfway, so this is a little surprising. He was definitely a more conservative Democrat, and was generally opposed to unions and government intervention. This may have worked against him regarding left-wing respondents. 

James K. Polk

The famous one-term President has gone down six places since the 2015 poll. He is traditionally said to have done everything he set out to do, which one may perceive to be great, and also acquired almost one-third of what is the US today. Perhaps his greatness is subjective. 

William McKinley

It’s a slightly low ranking for William McKinley, who generally does better despite being followed by the very popular Theodore Roosevelt. His actions in the Philippines are surely controversial, though he certainly grew the economy.

William H. Taft

This is about right for William H. Taft, who usually sits at the midway point. He was actually a bigger trust buster than Theodore Roosevelt, but seemingly lacked his predecessor’s political skill. Despite being seen as an average president, he’s an acclaimed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. 

Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter’s rating of 22 is seen as a little bit high. Whilst revered for his moral character and post-presidential activities, Carter is often placed in the lower half of presidential rankings. Critics of the polls point to his liberal policies, and that his good nature doesn’t equal greatness in politics.

Andrew Jackson

Often seen as a great president but controversial man, Andrew Jackson seems to be slipping down the ratings across the board. One cannot discount his push for democracy, paying off the national debt and belief in the working man are popular, his economic policy and treatment of Native Americans sour some. Perhaps the latter is becoming more in focus. He’s also down a massive twelve places since 2015.

John Quincy Adams

The first nepo president, John Quincy Adams is on the slightly low end compared to usual. He tends to get better marks as Secretary of State, for which he is called one of the finest. Adams attempts to pass anything were blocked by an obstinate Congress, and he lacked political finesse. 

George H. W. Bush

George H. W. Bush is often forgotten compared to his predecessor, but he’s got a fairly respectable ranking on this list. That being said, he has gone down by two spots since the last ranking. He’s well-respected for his foreign policy, but less so for his activities at home.

James Monroe

The last Founding Father, James Monroe receives a rather high rating. Having overseen the nation through the so-called Era of Good Feelings, Monroe’s presidency is often well-remembered. 

Ronald Reagan

The favourite of many a conservative, Ronald Reagan has nevertheless dropped seven places since the 2018 ranking. His position itself is not necessarily unsurprising, merely who beats him in the league. 

Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson’s racial politics are almost unanimously vilified, his impact on American liberalism, as well as his role in international affairs, are ones that historians and political scientists do not ignore. It is thus unsurprising that he is ranked so highly. 

Joe Biden

A sitting President should not be ranked. The end.

John Adams

John Adams is often seen as perhaps the dud of the illustrious Founding Fathers, yet holds a respectable position. His Alien and Sedition Acts continue to be the cause of controversy, and he did not hold the two terms his contemporaries had, he’s nevertheless lauded for his work leading a relatively new nation.

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton is rated above average by most historians, and perhaps people too, though some may see this ranking as too high. He presided over a prosperous economic era and enjoyed general popularity, despite a rather sordid personal life. Nevertheless, Clinton’s popularity has soured a little over the years due to renewed opinions on the Lewinsky affair.

James Madison

James Madison’s rating could be accused of being a little high. He’s generally criticised for his poor military leadership during the War of 1812, and the vast majority of his good work was pre-presidential. He’s nevertheless given a good spot, though perhaps undeserved

John F. Kennedy

Personal opinion here: JFK is a hugely overrated president. Boomers still worship him, mainly because he was assassinated at a young age. That’s not to say he was a bad president- he helped settle the Cuban Missile Crisis and pushed for the Space Race, but he did have his flaws. 10th is not the space for him. 

Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson is a fascinating man, and it makes sense that he ranks higher than St. John F. Kennedy. Johnson knew how to pass legislation, and his domestic agenda is much lauded. That being said, his foreign policy is widely criticised. His place here could easily be questioned. 

Dwight D. Eisenhower

They clearly like Ike. Eisenhower often ranks highly in lists, with economic prosperity and stabilisation, and has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity since he left office in 1961. 

Barack Obama

It’s too early to rank Barack Obama, who has been out of office for less than a decade. Also- over Eisenhower?

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman came into office after just over three full terms of Franklin D. Roosevelt, but he is rated highly. He was disliked when he left office, but hindsight has allowed him new popularity. Truman is most noted for his foreign policy, especially the Truman Doctrine and formation of NATO.

Thomas Jefferson

In top five territory now. One of the most famous polymaths and Founding Fathers, not even Jefferson’s sketchy personal life can knock him from his high perch. The Louisiana Purchase expanded the nation’s land, and Lewis and Clarke’s expedition expanded its understanding. 

Theodore Roosevelt

Once again, this matches general rankings of presidents. Theodore Roosevelt is praised for his trust busting, conservationism and vision for America, whilst criticised for his apparently imperialistic foreign policy. 

George Washington

Having America’s first president third is actually a controversial choice, as he’s almost always first or second. He’s widely revered for steadying the ship and leading America as a Republic, despite not particularly wanting the top job. That being said, he had his detractors then, and his critics now.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Well this was a little controversial. A hero to the many, especially on the left, Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal and his leadership during WW2 see him ranked highly. He’s also controversial for his treatment of Japanese-Americans and attempted packing of the Supreme Court among others. This controversy often precludes him from higher rankings, and he’s often unpopular with conservatives and others.

Abraham Lincoln

Leading the country during a bloody Civil War and freeing slaves often gives Abraham Lincoln the top spot, and this was no exception. He’s revered among all political affiliations, and his record has remained almost spotless since his assassination. Criticisms do remain, however, such as his suspension of habeas corpus.

This list is flawed.

Overall, it’s hard to take a list seriously when it:

1. Includes an incumbent, as well as presidents who have been in power with the decade 
2. Includes presidents who have served for less than a year

Presidential rankings are absolutely subjective and often down to a person’s personal choice. Is it clear that those who responded to this were generally left wing in their views. That is not always preventable, but does it make it fair? A similar response might be made to a list made predominately by those on the right. Furthermore, these are not historians, but political scientists. They may not have the same breadth of knowledge.