File Photos: Former US President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden.
Credit: X/ @realDonaldTrump @JoeBiden
Political scientists Justin Vaughn and Brandon Rottinghaus have released the findings of their '2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey', ranking US presidents by 'greatness'.
The survey, based on responses from 154 scholars mainly affiliated with the American Political Science Association, aimed to assess presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden. The results provide insight into how experts perceive the legacies of past and present leaders.
Former President Donald Trump, likely the Republican nominee for the 2024 race to the White House, ranked at the bottom of the list ("dead last"), below even "historically calamitous chief executives," whose records have been the subject of great scrutiny for their role before and during the American Civil War. The survey found Trump to be "by far the most polarizing of the ranked presidents," a result attributable to the coexistence of his staunch 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) voter base, as well as what many view as his incitement of the January 6, 2020, insurrection.
Conversely, Trump's probable opponent, President Joe Biden, debuted at No.14. Vaughn and Rottinghaus highlighted Biden's role in "rescuing the presidency from Trump," and restoring a more traditional style of leadership at the Oval Office.
The top spots in the ranking remained consistent with previous surveys, with Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt, and George Washington leading the pack. However, there were notable shifts, including Barack Obama's rise to seventh place and declines for presidents like Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson, attributed to reevaluations of their treatment of oppressed groups.
Further analysis of the survey data reveals intriguing trends. Ulysses Grant experienced a significant boost in ranking, climbing from 26th in 2015 to 17th in the current survey. This upward trajectory is attributed to reassessments of Grant's attempts to enforce post-Civil War Reconstruction, despite controversies surrounding his administration's corruption.
Andrew Jackson, known for owning enslaved people and presiding over the displacement of Native Americans, saw a drop in rank from ninth in 2015 to 21st in the current survey. Similarly, Woodrow Wilson, although credited with overseeing victory in World War I and advocating for the League of Nations, faced a decline from 10th to 15th place due to increasing scrutiny of his segregationist policies.
The survey also revealed a partisan dynamic, possibly influenced by the Trump presidency, with contemporary Democratic presidents generally rising in the ranks while modern Republican presidents, including Ronald Reagan and George H W Bush, fell.
As the US approaches another presidential election this fall, the survey offers valuable insights into how experts view presidential legacies. Whether these assessments align with the views of the American people or not, remains to be seen.