What makes a great president? Vision? Crisis leadership? A booming economy—or avoiding disaster altogether?
This isn’t just a history class roll call, it’s a no-holds-barred ranking of U.S. presidents from the towering titans to the total trainwrecks.
From Lincoln’s moral clarity to Buchanan’s spectacular failure, we break down who led with courage, who coasted, and who downright fumbled.
This list mixes legacy with controversy, showing how each commander-in-chief shaped the country for better or worse. Let’s dig in.
Top Tier: The Mount Rushmore Crew
1. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
Abe Lincoln towers over the rest. He held the Union together when it was tearing apart at the seams during the Civil War.
The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 freed enslaved people in Confederate states, redefining the war’s moral stakes.
His Gettysburg Address distilled America’s purpose in 272 words. Lincoln’s grit, empathy, and moral clarity carried a fractured nation through its darkest hour.
He signed the Homestead Act, boosting westward expansion, and laid tracks for the transcontinental railroad. His assassination in 1865 cut short a second term that could’ve reshaped Reconstruction.
Critics’ Gripes: Lincoln suspended habeas corpus to detain Confederate sympathizers, a move some call authoritarian. His wartime draft sparked riots, and early military failures frustrated the North. Still, his legacy is ironclad—historians like Doris Kearns Goodwin rank him No. 1 for good reason.
2. George Washington (1789-1797)
The OG president set the standard. Washington could’ve been king but chose a republic instead.
He unified a wobbly new nation, established a functioning government, and warned against foreign entanglements in his Farewell Address.
His voluntary two-term limit became tradition until FDR. He crushed the Whiskey Rebellion, proving the federal government had teeth, and signed the Jay Treaty to keep peace with Britain.
Critics’ Gripes: Washington owned over 300 slaves and didn’t push for abolition, a stain on his legacy. His neutrality in foreign policy frustrated some who wanted a bolder stance. Yet, his restraint built a foundation that lasts today.
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)
FDR redefined what a president could do. He took office during the Great Depression, with banks collapsing and unemployment at 25%.
His New Deal pumped life into the economy—think Social Security, the WPA, and banking reforms.
When World War II hit, he rallied America as the “arsenal of democracy,” steering the Allies to victory. His fireside chats made millions feel like he was in their living rooms. FDR’s four terms (yep, four!) cemented his influence.
Critics’ Gripes: The internment of 120,000 Japanese-Americans during WWII was a gross violation of rights. His attempt to pack the Supreme Court with loyalists backfired. Some argue the New Deal overreached, ballooning federal power. Still, FDR’s leadership in crisis is unmatched.
Strong But Flawed: The Near-Greats
4. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
Jefferson doubled America’s size with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, snagging 828,000 square miles for $15 million.
He championed education, religious freedom, and individual liberty, penning the Declaration of Independence’s soaring ideals. The Lewis and Clark expedition mapped the West, and his push for small government resonated with a young nation.
Critics’ Gripes: Jefferson owned 600 slaves, including his own kids with Sally Hemings—a hypocrisy that stings. His Embargo Act of 1807 tanked trade and angered merchants. His vision was bold, but his contradictions loom large.
5. Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
Teddy charged into history like a Rough Rider. He busted trusts, curbing monopolies like Standard Oil, and passed the Pure Food and Drug Act to protect consumers.
His conservation efforts saved 230 million acres—think Yellowstone and Yosemite. The Panama Canal? His doing.
He won a Nobel Peace Prize for brokering peace between Russia and Japan and made America a global player.
Critics’ Gripes: TR’s imperialism—backing Panama’s rebellion to snag the canal—rubbed some wrong. His love of military swagger alienated pacifists. His energy was infectious, but his ego could fill a room.
6. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
Ike brought calm after WWII’s chaos. He built the interstate highway system, a 47,000-mile game-changer for travel and commerce.
He navigated the Cold War, resisting Soviet aggression while avoiding nuclear brinkmanship.
His farewell warning about the military-industrial complex was prophetic. He sent troops to enforce desegregation in Little Rock, showing backbone on civil rights.
Critics’ Gripes: Ike was slow to champion civil rights broadly, frustrating activists. His CIA coups in Iran and Guatemala sowed long-term trouble. His steady hand, though, kept America humming.
7. Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)
Truman stepped into FDR’s shoes and didn’t flinch. He dropped atomic bombs on Japan, ending WWII but sparking endless debate.
He launched the Marshall Plan, rebuilding Europe, and created NATO to counter the Soviets. At home, he integrated the military and pushed Fair Deal reforms. His “Give ’em hell” style won hearts.
Critics’ Gripes: The Korean War bogged down, costing 36,000 American lives with no clear win. The A-bomb decision haunts his legacy—some call it inhumane. Truman’s bluntness could backfire, but his resolve defined the early Cold War.
Solid Middle: Good, Not Great
8. John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
JFK’s charisma lit up the world. He faced down Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis, avoiding nuclear war.
His “New Frontier” vision spurred the Apollo program, landing men on the moon (posthumously). He inspired with calls to “ask not what your country can do for you” and backed civil rights, though cautiously at first.
Critics’ Gripes: The Bay of Pigs invasion was a fiasco, emboldening Castro. His personal scandals—affairs, health issues—tainted his image. Cut short by assassination, JFK’s potential outshines his record.
9. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
Reagan brought swagger back to America. His tax cuts and deregulation fueled an economic boom, with GDP growth averaging 3.5% annually.
He stared down the Soviet Union, calling it the “Evil Empire,” and his defense buildup arguably hastened its collapse. His optimism—“Morning in America”—lifted spirits after the ’70s malaise.
Critics’ Gripes: Iran-Contra was a black eye, trading arms for hostages. His trickle-down economics widened inequality—top 1% earners gained 60% more income. Reagan’s legacy splits folks: hero to some, divisive to others.
10. Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
Clinton surfed the ’90s tech boom, balancing the budget and leaving a surplus by 2000. He signed NAFTA, boosting trade, and welfare reform, though it sparked debate.
His foreign policy—Kosovo, Northern Ireland—showed deftness. Charismatic and relatable, he connected like few others.
Critics’ Gripes: The Lewinsky scandal led to impeachment, tarnishing his image. Deregulation, like repealing Glass-Steagall, set up the 2008 crash. Clinton’s centrism frustrated progressives, but his era felt prosperous.
11. Barack Obama (2009-2017)
Obama inherited a financial meltdown and delivered. The Affordable Care Act insured 20 million more Americans.
He oversaw a 75-month job growth streak, cut unemployment from 10% to 4.7%, and greenlit the bin Laden raid. His climate push—Paris Agreement, clean energy—set a marker.
Critics’ Gripes: Drone strikes spiked, with murky civilian tolls. The ACA’s rollout was clunky, and partisan gridlock worsened. Obama’s hope-and-change vibe inspired, but some felt it fell short.
Mixed Bag: Hits and Misses
12. Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)
LBJ’s Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 crushed legal segregation, reshaping America.
His Great Society—Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start—lifted millions. But Vietnam was his albatross. Escalating to 500,000 troops, with 58,000 U.S. deaths, tanked his approval to 36% by 1968.
Critics’ Gripes: Vietnam’s shadow looms large—missteps fueled distrust in government. His arm-twisting style alienated allies. LBJ’s domestic wins are epic, but foreign policy dragged him down.
13-20. John Adams, James Madison, James Monroe, James K. Polk, William McKinley, Woodrow Wilson, William Taft, Calvin Coolidge
These guys had moments. Adams avoided war with France but botched free speech with the Alien and Sedition Acts.
Madison survived the War of 1812, but the White House burned.
Monroe’s Doctrine warned Europe off the Americas.
Polk grabbed California and Texas but stoked war with Mexico.
McKinley won the Spanish-American War, Wilson pushed the League of Nations, Taft busted trusts, and Coolidge rode the Roaring ’20s.
Each had wins—Monroe’s era of good feelings, Wilson’s Federal Reserve—but flaws, too: Wilson’s racism, Taft’s tariffs, Coolidge’s laissez-faire crash setup.
Struggling: Tough Terms
21-30. Ulysses S. Grant, Herbert Hoover, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, Martin Van Buren
Grant fought for Reconstruction but swam in scandals—his cabinet looted millions.
Hoover faced the Depression’s wrath, with GDP dropping 30%; his inaction sank him.
Carter championed human rights but got crushed by 13% inflation and the Iran hostage crisis.
Nixon opened China and signed the EPA but Watergate—breaking into DNC headquarters—forced his resignation.
Ford’s Nixon pardon cost him reelection. Bush Sr. won the Gulf War but fumbled a recession.
Bush Jr. rallied post-9/11 but Iraq’s WMD mess and Katrina’s chaos (3,000 dead) hurt. Tyler, Taylor, and Van Buren? Short, forgettable terms with economic or sectional woes.
Bottom Tier: The Fumbles
31. Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)
Fillmore’s Compromise of 1850 delayed war but enforced the Fugitive Slave Act, outraging abolitionists. His push for sectional balance just kicked the can down the road.
32. Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
Pierce’s Kansas-Nebraska Act let territories choose slavery, igniting “Bleeding Kansas” violence. His pro-Southern tilt alienated the North.
33. James Buchanan (1857-1861)
Buchanan watched the Union crumble. He backed the pro-slavery Dred Scott decision and did nothing as states seceded. Historians call him spineless.
34. Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)
Johnson botched Reconstruction, vetoing civil rights bills and clashing with Congress. His racism—calling freedmen inferior—set back progress. Impeached but acquitted by one vote.
35. Warren G. Harding (1921-1923)
Harding’s Teapot Dome scandal saw cronies lease public oil for bribes. His “return to normalcy” flopped amid corruption. Died before the worst hit.
36. Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
Jackson’s Trail of Tears forced 16,000 Cherokees west; 4,000 died. He killed the national bank, sparking economic chaos. Populists love his “man of the people” vibe, but his cruelty tanks him.
Unranked: Too Soon to Tell
Joe Biden (2021-2025)
Biden passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and rejoined the Paris climate accord. Unemployment fell to 3.5% by 2023, but inflation hit 9% in 2022, and the Afghanistan withdrawal left 13 U.S. troops dead. His term’s done, but historians need distance to judge.
Donald Trump (2017-2021, 2025-)
Trump’s first term cut taxes, deregulated business, and brokered the Abraham Accords. Unemployment hit a 50-year low (3.5%) pre-COVID, but his pandemic response—2 million cases by mid-2020—drew fire. January 6, 2021, stained his exit. His second term’s just started; it’s a blank slate for now.
Why This Order?
The top dogs—Lincoln, Washington, FDR—forged America’s soul. Middle ranks like JFK and Obama balanced vision with stumbles. The bottom—Buchanan, Jackson—either failed in crisis or did harm. Recent presidents are tough; partisan noise clouds clarity.
