The eve of the presidential elections seems like a good time to review the list of 15 most successful presidents of all time. But, how does one go about determining who they are? There are plenty of studies dealing with the subject, all using their own methodology and ranking presidents on issues they deemed important. Most of them are either limited in scope, for instance, this Gallup poll, which only ranked modern presidents or simply outdated, and are missing one or more latest presidents. Some of them are expert studies, while other deal with public opinions. For obvious reasons, we decided to focus on polls conducted among presidential scholars and historians. For instance, in this Gallup poll Ronald Reagan was named the greatest president ever. This conflicts heavily with our perception of reality, so we decided to ignore it. This didn’t earn us many favors among the Republicans in Insider Monkey offices, but in a lucky turn of event, the outright rebellion was averted when they learned that Reagan has made the cut. Perhaps they should consider other celebrities who should run for president for their next endorsement?
We settled for the combination of two studies that are both recent enough and not limited in any way. The first study we looked at is Sienna Research Institute’s one. It is an expert study, where 238 presidential scholars ranked presidents on following categories: background, party leadership, communication ability, relations with Congress, court appointments, handling of economy, luck, ability to compromise, willing to take risks, executive appointments, overall ability, imagination, domestic accomplishments, integrity, executive ability, foreign policy, accomplishments, leadership ability, intelligence, avoid crucial mistakes, and experts’ view. SRI has been conducting these studies periodically since 1982, and it is very interesting comparing results from different years and seeing how presidents’ changed in different time frames.
The other study we used to rank most successful presidents of all time was conducted by the Brookings Institution in 2015. Members of the American Political Science Association were asked to rank the presidents on traits like personal integrity, military skill, diplomatic skill, and legislative skill. The lists are pretty similar, and there are only three names that appear on either list in top 15 that didn’t make it on our unified list, President Obama being one of them (John Adams and James K. Polk are other two). Obama ranked 18th and 15th on the SRI list and the Brookings list respectively, which was enough for the 18th place on our list of most successful presidents of all time. Let’s see who made the cut among the best US presidents in history.
15. Ronald Reagan
SRI Ranking: 11
Brookings Institution Ranking: 18
Actor turned president, and for many a role model Republican, Ronald Reagan always ranks very high, usually in top five, when people are asked to give their opinion on presidents. When expert polls are in question, Mr. Reagan doesn’t fare so well, hence the 15th place on our list of most successful presidents of all time.
14. Lyndon Baines Johnson
SRI Ranking: 12
Brookings Institution Ranking: 16
Lyndon B. Johnson managed to push through several legislative acts that are today considered the foundation of modern United States, like those concerning civil rights and social security. However, his presidency will be mostly remembered for the US involvement in the Vietnam War.
13. John F. Kennedy
SRI Ranking: 14
Brookings Institution Ranking: 11
The assassination of JFK who ranks 13th on our list of most successful presidents of all time came as a huge shock to all Americans. The murder of one of the most popular presidents in history (average approval rate of 70%, more than any other US president) left the nation reeling. President Kennedy is usually better ranked in popular polls than those conducted among historians, and the general consensus is that he’s more judged by his potential that his actual accomplishments, although he did manage to achieve much in his short term in the White House.
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12. Andrew Jackson
SRI Ranking: 9
Brookings Institution Ranking: 14
Among other things he achieved in his presidency, one thing ranks Andrew Jackson above all other past (and quite probably future ones as well) presidents. In 1835 he managed to pay off the entire US national debt. Although the achievement was short-lived and the Panic of 1837 forced the government to borrow money again, it is quite an achievement. He also holds the record for duels among presidents, having fought in at least 13 of them, with the most famous being against Charles Dickinson.
11. James Monroe
SRI Ranking: 16
Brookings Institution Ranking: 7
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States and the last founding Father to serve as one. Today he’s mostly remembered for Monroe doctrine which paved the way for the US dominance in the Americas. Monroe also acquired Florida from Spain, although there are people today insisting it should be given back, free of charge.
10. Bill Clinton
SRI Ranking: 8
Brookings Institution Ranking: 13
Bill Clinton ranks 10th on our list of most successful presidents of all time. He presided over one of the best economic periods in the history of the United States. With the Cold War over, he was the first US president since the World War 2 not to have Soviet Union as the major threat and that led to US interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo. All of his achievements were almost undone by his affair with Monika Lewinski, which led to him becoming only the second president to be impeached by the Congress. Fortunately for Clinton legacy, the Senate later acquitted him.
9. James Madison
SRI Ranking: 13
Brookings Institution Ranking: 6
James Madison served as the fourth President of the United States. He’s best known for his work on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, which earned the nickname the Father of the Constitution and the ninth place among 15 most successful presidents of all time.
8. Woodrow Wilson
SRI Ranking: 10
Brookings Institution Ranking: 8
Up next in our list of most successful presidents of all time is Woodrow Wilson who achieved many things during his tenure as the US president. Among other, he authorized the creation of Federal Bank, granted women the right to vote and, despite his election promises, involved the country in the Great War. The League of Nation, the predecessor to the United Nations, was mainly his creation as well. The Prohibition was also introduced in his term, although he was opposed to it.
7. Dwight Eisenhower
SRI Ranking: 7
Brookings Institution Ranking: 10
Dwight Ike Eisenhower ranks 7th in our list of most successful presidents of all time. It is mostly credited for keeping his cool during the turbulent years post World War 2. Despite many crises that emerged during his stay in the White House, he avoided involving the country into the shooting war with the Soviets, which would end in a nuclear exchange. Although he spent his life as a professional soldier, he refused to increase military spending and kept a balanced budget, warning the nation about the dangers “the military-industrial complex”, now famous phrase he coined.
6. Harry S. Truman
SRI Ranking: 6
Brookings Institution Ranking: 9
Truman’s decision to drop the bomb on Japanese is hotly debated to this day. The fact that he wasn’t elected president, but rather inherited the presidency after the death of President Roosevelt only adds to the debate. Still, the results were almost instant, and Japan surrendered less than a week after the second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.
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5. Thomas Jefferson
SRI Ranking: 6
Brookings Institution Ranking: 5
Thomas Jefferson ranks 5th in our list of most successful presidents of all time. He is the author of the Declaration of Independence and was one of the most prominent figures among the Founding Fathers. He held various public offices before being elected as the third president of the United States. He presided over the Louisiana Purchase, one the most significant and far-reaching decisions in the history of the United States.
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.
3. Theodore Roosevelt
SRI Ranking: 4
Brookings Institution Ranking: 2
We are continuing our list of most successful presidents of all time with Theodore Roosevelt that is one of the most beloved historical figures in the United States. A quick glance at his life should be sufficient to explain why that is. Adventurer, writer, soldier, historian, politician, are just some of the facets of his multitalented personality.
2. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
SRI Ranking: 3
Brookings Institution Ranking: 1
FDR spent 12 years in the White House, a record that will never be broken, barring the abolition of the Twenty-second Amendment. His four terms very among the most turbulent in nation’s history, but he managed to leave to his successor the strongest country, both militarily and economically, in the world. If an expansion of the Mount Rushmore is to be made, it would be almost certain that FDR’s face join the previous four presidents carved in granite.
1. Abraham Lincoln
SRI Ranking: 1
Brookings Institution Ranking: 3
Abolishing the slavery will get you high on these lists, apparently. Lincoln led the nation through its most trying times, preventing it from dissolvent and preserving the unity. For his role in abolition and Civil War, he was killed by an actor and a Confederate spy John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln is actually tied with FDR for the top spot on our list of 15 most successful presidents of all time, but we decided to add bonus points for having his face carved into the mountain. Not many people managed that.
