It’s a weird tradition, honestly. Every few years, a bunch of people with PhDs sit down and decide who was the "best" person to ever live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. You’ve probably seen the headlines. They pop up whenever C-SPAN or Siena College releases a new survey. And while it might seem like a dry academic exercise, historians rankings of us presidents actually tell us more about our current culture than we might want to admit.
Take the most recent 2024 Presidential Greatness Project survey. Abraham Lincoln is still at the top. Surprise, surprise. He’s been there forever. But then you look a little lower and things get messy. Really messy.
The Mount Rushmore of the Rankings
If you look at the top five of basically any reputable survey—C-SPAN, Siena, or the APSA (American Political Science Association)—you’re going to see the same names. It’s like a locked VIP lounge. Lincoln, Washington, and Franklin D. Roosevelt are the "Big Three." Usually, they’re followed by Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson, though Jefferson has been sliding a bit lately.
Why do they stay there?
It’s usually about crisis.
Lincoln had the Civil War.
FDR had the Depression and WWII.
Washington literally had to invent the job from scratch.
Historians love a good crisis. It gives a president a chance to show "transformational leadership." If you preside over a period of boring peace and moderate economic growth, you’re probably going to end up in the middle of the pack. Sorry, Rutherford B. Hayes.
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The Rise and Fall of Andrew Jackson
One of the most fascinating things about historians rankings of us presidents is how much they move over time. Andrew Jackson is the poster child for this. Back in the 1940s and 50s, historians loved him. He was the "frontier democrat," the man of the people. In 1948, Arthur Schlesinger Sr. had him at #6.
Fast forward to 2024.
Jackson has plummeted. In the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project, he fell to #21.
What changed? Not the facts of his presidency. Those are etched in stone. What changed is us. Historians today place a massive weight on how presidents treated marginalized groups. Jackson’s role in the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears is no longer a footnote; it’s a defining feature of his legacy. It’s a reminder that "greatness" is a moving target.
The Bottom of the Barrel
Who is the worst? It’s almost always James Buchanan.
He’s the guy who watched the country fall apart right before the Civil War and basically said, "Well, I don't think I have the legal authority to stop this." Not a great look. He is joined in the basement by Andrew Johnson—who fought against civil rights after the Civil War—and Franklin Pierce.
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Interestingly, Donald Trump has consistently debuted near the bottom in these scholarly polls. In the 2024 survey, he was ranked 45th (last). C-SPAN’s 2021 poll had him at 41st. Historians generally cite "moral authority" and "administrative skills" as his lowest scores. It’s worth noting, though, that these rankings often show a partisan divide among the experts themselves. Republican-leaning historians tend to rank Reagan much higher than their Democratic-leaning peers, for instance.
Does the Economy Actually Matter?
You’d think a booming economy would guarantee a top spot. Not necessarily.
Bill Clinton had a legendary economy in the 90s. He usually sits around #12 to #19.
Calvin Coolidge had the "Roaring Twenties." He’s often stuck in the late 20s or early 30s.
Historians seem to view economic success as "luck" or "management" rather than "greatness." To get into that top tier, you need a soul-crushing national trauma that you successfully navigate. It’s a bit grim when you think about it.
[Image comparing economic growth vs presidential ranking for modern presidents]
The "Recency Bias" Problem
It’s really hard to rank a president who is still alive or just left office. We’re too close to it.
Barack Obama has seen a steady rise since he left, moving into the top 10 in some recent polls (#7 in the 2024 survey).
George W. Bush started near the bottom but has been slowly "rehabilitated" by historians as time passes, moving from #36 in 2009 to #32 in 2024.
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Ulysses S. Grant is the ultimate example of the "long game." For nearly a century, he was ranked as a failure because of the corruption in his administration. But recent biographers (like Ron Chernow) have refocused on his defense of civil rights during Reconstruction. He’s climbed from the bottom tier to #17 in the latest poll.
How to Read These Rankings Without Losing Your Mind
If you're looking at historians rankings of us presidents, don't treat them as gospel. They are a snapshot of what academics value right now.
- Check the Criteria: Some polls value "Integrity" higher than "Vision." That changes the order.
- Look for Consensus: If a president is top 5 in every poll for 50 years, they probably did something right.
- Watch the Trends: The movement of a name (like Grant or Jackson) tells you how our national values are shifting.
What This Means for You
Honestly, unless you're a history buff, these rankings are mostly just good for winning bar bets or starting arguments at Thanksgiving. But they do offer a roadmap for leadership. The presidents at the top—Lincoln, Washington, FDR—all shared a few traits: they had a clear vision, they communicated it brilliantly, and they were willing to break the status quo to save the country.
If you want to dive deeper, check out the full C-SPAN 2021 dataset or the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project white paper. It's wild to see how someone like James K. Polk—who achieved every single one of his campaign goals—still gets overshadowed by the more "charismatic" leaders.
Next time you see a new list, don't just look at who is #1. Look at who is moving. That's where the real story is.
Next Steps for the History-Curious:
Go to the official C-SPAN Presidential Survey website and look at the "Individual Categories" section. Instead of looking at the overall rank, see who scored highest in "Public Persuasion" or "Moral Authority." It completely changes how you view people like Ronald Reagan or Lyndon Johnson. You might find that your favorite president was actually terrible at working with Congress, or that a "boring" president was an administrative genius.