Introduction to the Survey
Presidential rankings often reflect a bias towards left-leaning perspectives, which is where PragerU aims to make a difference.
The conservative education and media organization has launched its inaugural Presidential Rankings Survey, claiming to offer a “fuller, more balanced picture” by employing a flexible methodology. This approach includes input from scholars, historians, media personalities, and politicians who are frequently overlooked despite their expertise.
According to PragerU’s recent announcement, “For decades, most presidential rankings have come from a narrow, left-leaning perspective. Our Presidential Rankings Survey sets out to broaden the conversation by inviting voices and viewpoints that are often ignored.” Richard Lim, senior editor and researcher at PragerU, emphasized that this survey aims to provide a wider view of presidential performance.
The results were predictable at the top: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln secured the first two spots as they typically do in various surveys. However, Ronald Reagan made an impressive showing in third place—an unusual feat for him in such rankings.
PragerU noted that Reagan enjoys high esteem among conservatives; one respondent described him as “a visionary whose moral clarity helped usher in the end of the Cold War.” Following Reagan were Calvin Coolidge and Thomas Jefferson in fourth and fifth places respectively.
In contrast, modern Democratic presidents generally received lower rankings. Joseph R. Biden Jr. found himself at the bottom of the list at 42nd place out of 42 presidents evaluated. He was followed closely by Andrew Johnson (40) and James Buchanan (41).
Lyndon B. Johnson (35), Barack Obama (38), and Jimmy Carter (39) also landed in the bottom ten. In comparison, John F. Kennedy Jr. ranked 18th while Bill Clinton was placed 23rd—both higher than Republicans Gerald Ford (27) and Richard Nixon (29).
The survey excluded William Henry Harrison and James Garfield due to their brief terms making fair evaluation challenging. Donald Trump was also omitted since his presidency is ongoing and cannot yet be fully assessed.
Who’s the best president?
Who’s the worst?
The survey involved 155 respondents who rated each president on a scale from 0 to 10 based on four criteria: adherence to the Constitution; national prosperity; sound foreign policy; and consideration of circumstances during their tenure. Lim explained that respondents had flexibility in how they weighed these factors.
The findings starkly contrasted with those from other surveys like the Presidential Greatness Project conducted by members of the American Political Science Association. For instance, Obama ranked seventh there while he fell significantly lower in PragerU’s assessment.
The goal behind this survey is to introduce different perspectives into discussions about presidential rankings. Participants included notable figures such as Princeton professor Allen Guelzo and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
