VANCOUVER, Feb. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - George Washington is the best president since 1789 – and Richard Nixon the worst – according to the first ever objective ranking of US presidents, from new interactive think tank Aha!
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The study's thirty-six measures are a guide to judging Barack Obama's presidency and the eventual performance of candidates Clinton, Cruz, Rubio, Sanders, or Trump.
"George Washington's top ranking should be used as a template for judging today's presidential candidates," said Dr. Mark Mullins, Aha! CEO. "His presidency was marked by a strong economy and vibrant democracy, effective defense, broad voter support, and sound leadership. Who among the candidates of either party can be the next Washington?"
The study finds that Bill Clinton (ranked 13th) is the best living president, though recent presidents disappoint, with an average rank of 29th over the past fifty years since John F. Kennedy's term.
For example, Barack Obama is 34th and the second most overrated president in history, while George W. Bush (39th) ranks below him.
In the modern era, the top Democrat is Harry Truman (9th) and the worst is Jimmy Carter (37th). The top Republican is Dwight Eisenhower (4th) and the worst is Richard Nixon (41st).
The top ten presidents, in order, are Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Eisenhower, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, McKinley, Kennedy, Truman, and Hayes.
The five worst presidents are Carter, Ford, George W. Bush, Hoover, and Nixon.
Abraham Lincoln is surprisingly in 16th place, owing to the dire economic and social conditions of the time. His presidency is an example of a national leader overcoming incredible odds to achieve greatness.
"Presidents are judged from day one by voters and pundits, and afterwards by historians", said Mullins. "Our approach is different: look at the facts, everything from the economy and markets to democracy and defense, and see how each president fared. This literal State of the Union since 1789 is a great way for voters to rate presidential candidates today."
The study draws from public data sources. Key measures include economic growth, taxes, debt and deficits, wages, investment returns, defense, global power, trade, immigration, voting rights, public approval, and expert opinion.
Profiles and rankings are found at website aha.world and facebook.com/AhaBeyondNews.
SOURCE Aha! Insights Inc
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