Feb 18, 2024
SCOTT OLSON/GETTY
Abraham Lincoln topped the list of U.S. presidents while Donald Trump was ranked last, according to the results of the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project expert survey released this weekend.
The purpose of the survey, which was previously conducted in 2015 and 2018, was to “create a ranking of presidential greatness that covered all presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden,” according to the co-directors of the Presidential Greatness Project, University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus and Coastal Carolina University political science professor Justin Vaughn.
Respondents were asked to rate each U.S. president on a scale of zero to 100 for their “overall greatness,” with zero being failure, 50 being average and 100 being great. The ratings were averaged for each president and then ranked from highest average to lowest.
Lincoln placed first with a 95.03 average, followed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in at No. 2 with 90.83, George Washington at No. 3 with 90.32, Teddy Roosevelt at No. 4 with 78.58 and Thomas Jefferson at No. 5 with 77.53, the survey results show.
At the bottom of the rankings, Trump received the lowest rating with a 10.92 average, behind James Buchanan at No. 44 with 16.71, Andrew Johnson at No. 43 with 21.56, Franklin Pierce at No. 42 with 24.6, William Henry Harrison at No. 41 with 26.01 and Warren Harding at No. 40 with 27.76, according to the Presidential Greatness Project.
President Joe Biden was ranked in the top third of the list, placing at No.14 with a rating of 62.7.
Newsweek reached out via email on Sunday to Trump’s representatives for comment on the survey results.
This year’s results are based on 154 responses from scholars “whose work engages presidential politics” and who are members of the American Political Science Association, according to a statement released by the University of Houston. The survey was conducted online via Qualtrics from November 15 to December 31, 2023.
Vaughn told Newsweek in an interview on Sunday night that there is a “rich history” of similar rankings but noted those focused “largely on historians” while the Presidential Greatness Project polled “political scientist experts on the presidency.”
“Lincoln has topped the list all three times we have conducted this survey,” Vaughn said. “Trump was last in 2018 as well, but not included in 2015 because Obama was still president. Lincoln is usually number one, regardless of the survey organization, though occasionally George Washington and even Franklin Delano Roosevelt get ranked number one.”
The survey also ranked Trump as the “most polarizing” U.S. President.
The results ignited a firestorm of criticism on social media from supporters of Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential front-runner, who blasted the survey’s credibility and relevance.
When asked about the backlash the survey results have garnered, Vaughn told Newsweek that the skepticism is “natural.”
“Disagreement seems to be particularly strong when we’re talking about current or very recent presidents, and especially so in this instance,” Vaughn said. “One thing worth noting is that many of the characteristics that some supporters of President Trump like the most about him – his willingness to break norms, his style of communication, etc. – are the ones that caused him to be negatively assessed in this survey.”
Vaughn said that surveys are interesting because they “capture a snapshot in time” but highlight how views evolve.
“Presidents like Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson have been slipping in recent years in our surveys and others, and that tells us a lot about the American presidency and how expectations surrounding it are changing.”
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-places-last-new-presidential-greatness-rankings-1871043
Trump is currently presenting this world to brutal dictators on a silver platter. And he’s not even in office. With the help of his pathetic, undemocratic minions in Congress, the damage he’s doing to this country and to our allies is already great.
He not only deserves to be last on this list, he belongs in prison.
How does this college poll article pertain to Ukraine? Sorry, I don’t see the connection.
There is coordination going on here.
Trump blocks Aid.
Ukraine takes terrible losses.
Putler is able to take Avdiivka in time for his sham election.
Putler says he wants Biden, not Trump, cynically calculating that some US voters will say “I knew he was a wrong-un” and switch to Trump.
Dwarf Nazi Medvedev pukes out another nuclear Armageddon rant; essentially: “if we can’t rule Ukraine then no one can.” Exactly like a psychopath threatening his girlfriend with “if I can’t have you, no one will.” But it serves its purpose: instill fear.
Ukraine has to continue the struggle with no US aid.
Trumpkov says : “WW3 is coming. Only I can stop it.”
If enough people buy it, he gets power. His “solution” for Ukraine is, to no one’s surprise: land for peace.
If Ukraine declines the “offer”, the war continues with Ukraine getting steadily weaker. Until it is overrun with the most evil Nazi vermin in history.
The Republicans must nominate Haley. Then the danger is minimized: both contenders being pro-Ukraine. But at the moment there seems zero chance of that happening.
My favorite presidents were George Washington and Jefferson Davis. 😇😁
God no
^bert
Oh, yes! ✌
Jefferson Davis wasn’t president, lol Mike.
Not of your country. 😇
😎
LOL, you got me there. I’m a Yankee…;)
If the Dems keep it up with the transgender and illegal’s rights they are going to resurrect the Confederacy. 😉
Founders and Traitors in same breath. So redneck.
Nikki Haley is not anti-Ukraine. It’s the yankee from New York. But once more thanx for your response. It is idiots like you who keep driving people into the arms of dumb Trump. You want to turn tigers into pussies. Will not work. So fuck you and Trump alike.
I doubt there is even one American that cares what your fascist opinion is, foreigner. Don’t be a bert,
That’s possibly the most offensive post I’ve seen here and just so our audience knows, YOU are NOT American. Obviously by your post, you are also a fascist and most likely, a Communist too. Try saying that in the USA if you ever visit.
“Try saying that in the USA”
You should say, “Try saying that in Dixie.” I think that most people north of the Mason-Dixon line would agree that Jefferson Davis was a traitor to the USA. After the Confederacy was defeated, Davis *was* imprisoned for treason.
I have no idea why you would assume someone was a foreigner just because they don’t support the losing side in the Civil War, but that’s not really relevant to supporting Ukraine, so I don’t care.
Its getting a bit old for someone new to Ukraine Today lecturing one of the founders of it. IF you had been around for a while and IF you paid attention, you would know bert is a contrarian and a hard left antagonizer that hates the USA and thinks everyone should think like him. Actually, you resemble him too…
You seem like an ok guy Larry and Ukraine opens her arms to everyone but if your only reason for being here is politics you are not helping Ukraine. If you do wish to help Ukraine instead of help the socialist movement, then I would advise you to open your ears and close your mouth unless you have something nonpolitical to say.
Ukraine is not about politics it is about freedom.
Sorry if you took offense, Sir Red, but I don’t see why most Americans would have any problem labeling as a traitor someone who took up arms against the United States and who was locked up for treason. Isn’t that pretty much the definition of being a traitor?
I think only some “lost cause” southerners would object.
I’ve been around a while, and I pay attention, and I’ve noticed that Bert typically signs his posts, “^bert” (as can be seen above). I’m not making an assumption that every post from “Anonymous” is from Bert. Gray was posting that way for a while, and my posts show up that way sometimes also (if I forget to click the “mail” icon when responding).
I know that Bert’s a foreigner; I just didn’t assume that the “Anonymous” to which we’re replying was from Bert.
Well, I apologize Larry, I was too harsh. Lately I come to this site we built to help Ukraine and I find myself being criticized, demeaned, disrespected, corrected and associated with stuff I’ve never experienced in my life. It makes me wonder why I am here and even if we are helping Ukraine. Especially from Scradge, a guy I’ve listened to for 10 years and now he drags HIS politics into every post. It is quite debatable whether or not he is helping Ukraine. I used to come here for hours every day and read every word and upvote every post. Politics is destroying this site and honestly, I don’t know how much longer I can take it. I’ve never banned anyone but I’m starting to think about it.
“Well, I apologize Larry, I was too harsh.”
Thanks – I appreciate that.
“read every word and upvote every post.”
I read just about every word, but only “upvote” the positive stuff. If it’s news about Ukrainians being raped and killed, I can’t bring myself to click a button that says “Like this”.
Hey Red Square just saw this comment and I truly appreciate you pointing out the importance of this site being focused on supporting the freedom of Ukraine and not on internal US politics (or at least that was my take). To the extent that some of my posts may have helped fuel politicalization of this site I apologize. I will strive to open my ears and close my mouth unless I have something nonpolitical to say in the future:). Thanks for all that you have done to help establish this site and keeping it going.
I am guilty too FedUp. I appreciate your participation and your letters to the Contact page. Its not easy to be fair but we have to try, for Ukraine’s sake. I believe that includes when others are NOT fair, we should set the record straight or we will look just like RT.
“I believe that includes when others are NOT fair, we should set the record straight”
That’s exactly what I try to do when I see someone posting something that is not true. Thank you for your supporting words. 🙂
😁👍
Trump’s the greatest! Greatest failure, in the US and the world. Leading experts tell him this!
😄
Michael Cohen suggests Trump’s mounting legal fees make him ‘thoroughly compromised’: ‘He is for sale’
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4475770-michael-cohen-suggests-trumps-mounting-legal-fees-make-him-thoroughly-compromised-he-is-for-sale/
Its virtually impossible for Trump to become as compromised as corrupt Biden, that’s for sure. Biden is very lucky the DoJ is covering up for him.
LOL.
Did you notice the arrest of the GOP’s key “informant”, on false statements and obstruction charges?
In fact, and rather incredibly, this is now the second “star witness” of the House GOP who has been indicted. The first, Gal Luft, who repeatedly accused the Bidens of corruption, was charged with arms trafficking, acting as a foreign agent for China, and violating Iran sanctions. He has now jumped bail and is on the run, meaning he’s unlikely to appear as a whistleblower witness for the GOP.
Speaking of being for sake, he was recently booed out by a crowd when he tried to sell his new sneaker line. They cost only $399.🤡
Second hand, like Trump himself i guess.
According to news reports, the crowd reaction was “mixed.” Also, the guy who won Trump’s shoes was also a big fan of Trump AND is Ukrainian. The Trump sneakers also sold out right afterwards…
https://www.axios.com/2024/02/18/trump-sneakers-never-surrender-launch
Also worth noting – President Biden beat out Reagan.
I guess then we can’t take this list so seriously.
From my perspective no surprises on these Presidential “beauty” rankings by leftist ivory tower history professors. The educational progressive/leftist “elites” control the most influential institutions of higher learning and have since the 1960’s. For example over ninety five percent of political donations by Ivy League professors went to Democrats/Leftists in the last national election. These professors all live and work in closed, non critical thinking, self congratulating intellectual ghettos isolated and protected by “tenure” from economic reality.
Could be. But, nevertheless, Trump deserves the position on this list. With some, no way, and with many others, I’m not so sure.
Or more intelligent peeps skew democratic. Just a thought…but go ahead with the college just brainwashing peeps into being democrats then, if that makes you feel better.
And yes, Jefferson Davis WAS IN FACT A TRAITOR or did I get brainwashed by history also…