Since 1789, Forty-four people have taken the mantle of the president of the United States. From George Washington to Donald Trump, each president has had an impact on the United States. However, whether that impact has been positive or negative, of for you to decide.
Back In 2017, C-Span consulted presidential historians to develop a ranking of every U.S. president. The survey included 91 historians and professional observers who scored each president in 10 categories. This included aspects like administrative skills, economic management, and international relations. Here is the list, ranked from worst to best. It did not include President Donald Trump, as he was still in his first term, at the time of compilation.
It was also worth noting that Grover Cleveland, served two non-consecutive terms. So, he is counted as the 22nd and 24th president but he is only included once in this list.
43. James Buchanan
42. Andrew Johnson
41. Franklin Pierce
40. Warren G. Harding
39. John Tyler
38. William Henry Harrison
37. Millard Filmore
36. Herbert Hoover
35. Chester A. Arthur
34. Martin Van Buren
33. George W. Bush
32. Rutherford B. Hayes
31. Zachary Taylor
30. Benjamin Harrison
29. James A. Garfield
28. Richard M. Nixon
27. Calvin Coolidge
26. Jimmy Carter
25. Gerald Ford
24. William Howard Taft
23. Grover Cleveland
22. Ulysses S. Grant
21. John Quincy Adams
20. George H.W. Bush
19. John Adams
18. Andrew Jackson
17. James Madison
16. William McKinley
15. Bill Clinton
14. James K. Polk
13. James Monroe
12. Barack Obama
11. Woodrow Wilson
10. Lyndon B. Johnson
9. Ronald Reagan
8. John F. Kennedy
7. Thomas Jefferson
6. Harry S. Truman
5. Dwight D. Eisenhower
4. Theodore Roosevelt
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt
2. George Washington
1. Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln, who served as president from 1861 to 1865, is perennially ranked as the best U.S. president for his leadership during the Civil War. Historians ranked him highest for crisis leadership and lowest for his relationship with Congress.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was James Buchanan, who served from 1857 to 1861 in the period leading up to the Civil War. He was ranked low in both administration and crisis leadership.
