4. George Washington
SRI Ranking: 2
Brookings Institution Ranking: 4
Father of the Nation deservedly gets a very high ranking every time scholars are tasked with naming the most successful presidents. The American Cincinnatus, named so for his resignation as the commander-in-chief of the American Army after the British were defeated, has set many virtuous examples during his tenure as the first President of the United States. Unfortunately, a number of his successors didn’t follow them.
