Let's Rank the Presidents! Part 1
Let's Rank the Presidents! Part 1  
Podcast: History As It Happens
Published On: Tue Dec 14 2021
Description: This is the first episode in a two-part series, Let's Rank the Presidents! Part one covers the most successful presidents in U.S. history. What makes a great president? Americans may agree that intelligence, influence, integrity, communication skills, vision, and successful domestic and foreign policies are among the right qualities to measure a presidential administration. But determining which presidents rate highly in these categories is a matter of endless debate, one that often reflects our own political biases rather than the actual accomplishments (or failings) of an individual leader. In this episode, scholars Jeremi Suri of the University of Texas at Austin and Jeffrey Engel of Southern Methodist University share their views on the presidents who sit at or near the top. FWIW, in its most recent survey, the Siena College Research Institute had George Washington at the top, followed by FDR and Abraham Lincoln.