A recent evaluation of U.S. presidents conducted by a panel of self-proclaimed experts concluded that Abraham Lincoln holds the title of America’s greatest president, while Donald Trump finds himself at the bottom of the list.
Lincoln secured the top position in the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project expert survey for the third time, replicating his previous rankings in 2015 and 2018.
The survey, conducted by the Presidential Greatness Project, collected responses from 154 participants, including current and former members of the Presidents & Executive Politics Section of the American Political Science Association, renowned for its expertise in presidential politics. Additionally, scholars who have recently published peer-reviewed research in relevant academic journals or presses contributed to the rankings.
Participants were tasked with rating presidents on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 indicating failure, 50 representing average, and 100 signifying greatness. Joining Lincoln in the top five were Franklin Delano Roosevelt in second place, followed by George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and Thomas Jefferson.
Trump occupied the lowest position in the survey, ranking below James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Franklin Pierce, and William Henry Harrison.
The release accompanying the survey noted that respondents’ political affiliations and ideologies did not significantly impact the rankings overall. However, certain trends were observed, particularly among recent presidents. Conservatives and Republicans tended to rate Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Trump more favorably, with Reagan receiving an average ranking of 5th among Republican respondents, Bush at 19th, and Trump at 41st. Conversely, among Democrat respondents, Reagan ranked 18th on average, Bush 33rd, and Trump 45th.
A similar partisan disparity was evident for Barack Obama and President Biden. Among Democrats, Obama was ranked 6th on average, while Biden secured 13th place. Among Republicans, Obama ranked 15th, and Biden 30th. Notably, Bill Clinton received a higher ranking from Republican respondents (10th) than from Democrats (12th).
This partisan contrast resulted in an overall ranking of 7th for Obama, 12th for Clinton, 14th for Biden, 16th for Reagan, and 32nd for Bush.
