Special Poll
In an authoritative assessment of U.S. presidents’ historical impact and leadership, President Joe Biden achieved a noteworthy ranking, placed 14th among his peers. This evaluation contrasts sharply with former President Donald Trump’s position, who was ranked at the bottom of the list in this expert survey.
The 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey, which spanned from mid-November to the end of December, garnered responses from current and recent members of the Presidents and Executive Politics Section of the American Political Science Association. This group represents the premier collective of social science professionals with expertise in the study of the presidency.
Abraham Lincoln earned the top spot as the nation’s most esteemed president, according to the survey. Biden’s 14th-place ranking situates him above such historical figures as Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan, and Ulysses S. Grant. Notably, former President Barack Obama ascended to the 7th position, marking a significant climb from the previous year’s survey results.
While the survey indicated that political leanings did not drastically influence the overall rankings, they did reveal a partisan divide, particularly regarding the standings of Obama and Biden. Democratic experts rated them higher, on average, at sixth and 13th places respectively, in contrast to Republican experts who placed them at 15th and notably lower at 30th. This disparity underscores the subjective lens through which presidential legacies are often viewed, shaped by the evaluator’s political affiliations.