FrontPage: OL on your desk. Who was the greatest
president, and why?
Last Word: Chapter 9 Quiz - Monday
President’s Name
 *Bill Clinton
 *Ronald Reagan
 Harry S. Truman
 Theodore Roosevelt
 Franklin D. Roosevelt
 George Washington
 Abraham Lincoln
Source: C-SPAN historian survey
Rank
15
10
5
4
3
2
1
President’s Name
 Warren G. Harding
 William Henry Harrison
 Franklin Pierce
 Andrew Johnson
 James Buchanan
Rank
38
39
40
41
42
Public Persuasion
 Moral Authority
 Relations with Congress
 Performance Within Context of Times
 Crisis Leadership
 International Relations
 Vision/Setting An Agenda
 Economic Management
 Administrative Skills
 Pursued Equal Justice For All

“…it is of course necessary to recognize that the man and the
era, or events, must meet if true greatness is even to be
possible. It is self-evident that Washington, Lincoln and FDR
all faced enormous challenges. To succeed was to
triumph, to fail was to be politically inept.
It would be probably true to suggest that one or more
‘average’ presidents might have emerged in ‘great’ or
‘near great’ ranking had his era furnished him with dynamic
challenges or exceptional opportunities…
In ranking great presidents, one is compelled to keep in mind
the old cliché of politics, ‘The man and the moment have
met.”
C-SPAN Presidential Historian Survey

3 different factors:
› Presidential Style – how they view (and use)
their power, and their management
perspective
› Leadership Qualities – you either have them or
you don’t…
› **Opportunity –
 are you feeling lucky, punk?

Under the control of the president
**A president’s style is determined by his
views on…
Power
 Management

Under the control of the president
 Strict Constructionist (Hoover)
 The belief that the Constitution provides only a
limited amount of power to a president
 Considered a weak view of power
Vs.

Loose Constructionist (FDR)
 Belief that the President should stretch the powers of
the presidency in order to meet the needs of the
nation
 Considered a strong view of power
Under the control of the president

“Detail- oriented (Jimmy Carter)
› Involved in most small details of policy
(micromanager);
vs.

“Big - Picture” (Reagan)
› Avoid getting involved in the small details of
policy; Rely on advisors and make “big decisions”
*Possessing/lacking these
qualities can contribute
to success /failure.
 Understanding the public
 Ability to communicate
 Sense of timing
 Openness to new ideas
 Ability to compromise
 Political courage

How do they
handle events
during their
presidency?
› Not under the
control of the
president

**Wars,
depression,
inflation,
economic boom,
terrorism, etc.