Greatest US Presidents of All Time — Yourlist

Greatest US Presidents of All Time

a Yourlist ranking · the crowd decides the order

From Lincoln to Obama, which commander-in-chief truly earned a place on Mount Rushmore of leadership? Cast your vote and rank them yourself.

What counts: Best is judged by lasting historical impact, crisis leadership, and legacy as reflected in long-running scholarly surveys (C-SPAN, Siena, etc.). All ratings and dates are approximate consensus figures, not official scores.

Abraham Lincoln
Saved the Union and ended slavery while holding the nation together through its darkest hour.
Years in Office: 1861–1865Scholar Consensus Rating: 9.8/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Civil War & Emancipation
added by IJRin 4 rankings
0
George Washington
Set the precedent for peaceful power transfer and defined what the presidency itself would be.
Years in Office: 1789–1797Scholar Consensus Rating: 9.5/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Founding the Republic
added by IJRin 4 rankings
0
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Led America through the Great Depression and World War II across an unmatched four terms.
Years in Office: 1933–1945Scholar Consensus Rating: 9.6/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: New Deal & WWII victory
added by IJRin 4 rankings
0
Theodore Roosevelt
Busted trusts, built the Panama Canal, and turned the US into a global power.
Years in Office: 1901–1909Scholar Consensus Rating: 9/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Progressive reforms & trust-busting
added by IJRin 2 rankings Theodore Roosevelt
0
Thomas Jefferson
Doubled the size of the nation with the Louisiana Purchase and championed republican ideals.
Years in Office: 1801–1809Scholar Consensus Rating: 8.7/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Louisiana Purchase
added by IJRin 3 rankings
0
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Balanced Cold War tensions while building the interstate highway system at home.
Years in Office: 1953–1961Scholar Consensus Rating: 8/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Interstate System & Cold War stability
added by IJRin 4 rankings Dwight D. Eisenhower
0
Woodrow Wilson
Guided the US through World War I and pushed for a new world order via the League of Nations.
Years in Office: 1913–1921Scholar Consensus Rating: 7.5/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: WWI leadership
added by IJR
0
Ronald Reagan
Revived the economy and is widely credited with hastening the Cold War's end.
Years in Office: 1981–1989Scholar Consensus Rating: 7.9/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Cold War resolution & tax reform
added by IJRin 2 rankings Ronald Reagan
0
Barack Obama
Steered the economy back from the brink of collapse and passed historic healthcare reform.
Years in Office: 2009–2017Scholar Consensus Rating: 7.4/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Affordable Care Act & recovery
added by IJRin 4 rankings Barack Obama
0
John F. Kennedy
Steered the world through the Cuban Missile Crisis and launched the space race.
Years in Office: 1961–1963Scholar Consensus Rating: 7.8/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Cuban Missile Crisis
added by IJRJohn F. Kennedy
0
Lyndon B. Johnson
Pushed through landmark civil rights legislation amid the turmoil of Vietnam.
Years in Office: 1963–1969Scholar Consensus Rating: 7.6/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Civil Rights Act of 1964
added by IJRLyndon B. Johnson
0
James Madison
Father of the Constitution who led the nation through the War of 1812.
Years in Office: 1809–1817Scholar Consensus Rating: 6.8/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: War of 1812
added by IJRin 2 rankings James Madison
0
Andrew Jackson
Expanded presidential power and democracy for common men, though his legacy is deeply contested.
Years in Office: 1829–1837Scholar Consensus Rating: 5.5/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Indian Removal Act & Bank War
added by IJR
0
James Monroe
Expanded US influence and drew the line against European meddling with his famous Doctrine.
Years in Office: 1817–1825Scholar Consensus Rating: 6.9/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Monroe Doctrine
added by IJR
0
Bill Clinton
Presided over a booming economy and budget surpluses in the 1990s.
Years in Office: 1993–2001Scholar Consensus Rating: 7/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Economic expansion & NAFTA
added by IJRBill Clinton
0
Ulysses S. Grant
Fought to enforce Reconstruction and protect newly won civil rights for freed Americans.
Years in Office: 1869–1877Scholar Consensus Rating: 6.3/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Reconstruction enforcement
added by IJRin 2 rankings
0
Harry Truman
Ended WWII, rebuilt Europe, and set Cold War containment policy from the Oval Office.
Years in Office: 1945–1953Scholar Consensus Rating: 8.3/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: WWII end & Marshall Plan
added by IJR
0
John Adams
Kept a fragile young nation out of war with France despite fierce political division.
Years in Office: 1797–1801Scholar Consensus Rating: 6.5/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Avoided war with France
added by IJRin 3 rankings
0
William McKinley
Led the US to victory in the Spanish-American War and into the modern industrial age.
Years in Office: 1897–1901Scholar Consensus Rating: 6.2/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Spanish-American War
added by IJR
0
Grover Cleveland
The only president to serve two non-consecutive terms, known for fiscal conservatism.
Years in Office: 1885–1889, 1893–1897Scholar Consensus Rating: 6/10Defining Achievement/Crisis: Non-consecutive terms & fiscal restraint
added by IJR
0