The Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time

original ranker Ranker Community 146,569 views 43 items 184 followers

The Greatest United States Presidents in history, ranked from best to worst. Who's the greatest U.S. president? Anyone can vote on or make their own version of this collaborative list of the men who shaped American policy - a fascinating insight into all the US Presidents and how their presidencies were perceived. Who were the best presidents? We expect this list of the Chief Executives to change over time as history's perceptions also change.

And be sure to check out Ranker's ultimate list of the Worst-Ever US Presidents as well, for comparison's sake.

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Rank Name

1

Up 4515

Down 680

Abraham Lincoln

1809
2

Up 3606

Down 466

George Washington

1732
3

Up 2777

Down 578

Thomas Jefferson

1743
4

Up 2438

Down 753

Theodore Roosevelt

1858
5

Up 2674

Down 1301

Franklin D. Roosevelt

1882
6

Up 1885

Down 711

Dwight D. Eisenhower

1890
7

Up 3373

Down 1431

Ronald Reagan

1911
8

Up 2483

Down 1178

John F. Kennedy

1917
9

Up 1416

Down 792

Harry S. Truman

1884
10

Up 1292

Down 576

James Madison

1751
11

Up 1353

Down 647

John Adams

1735
12

Up 896

Down 547

James Monroe

1758
13

Up 2311

Down 1858

Bill Clinton

1946
14

Up 1002

Down 858

Andrew Jackson

1767
15

Up 745

Down 714

John Quincy Adams

1767
16

Up 636

Down 769

James K. Polk

1795
17

Up 770

Down 1078

Woodrow Wilson

1856
18

Up 1456

Down 1770

George H. W. Bush

1924
19

Up 2429

Down 3697

Barack Obama

1961
20

Up 714

Down 1346

Lyndon B. Johnson

1908
21

Up 718

Down 885

Ulysses S. Grant

1822
22

Up 428

Down 599

William McKinley

1843
23

Up 457

Down 637

Grover Cleveland

1837
24

Up 514

Down 731

Calvin Coolidge

1872
25

Up 533

Down 927

Gerald Ford

1913
26

Up 1628

Down 2341

George Bush

1946
27

Up 379

Down 679

William Howard Taft

1857
28

Up 834

Down 1546

Richard Nixon

1913
29

Up 694

Down 2002

Jimmy Carter

1924
30

Up 275

Down 632

Rutherford B. Hayes

1822
31

Up 328

Down 562

James Garfield

1831
32

Up 273

Down 613

Chester A. Arthur

1829
33

Up 285

Down 666

Martin Van Buren

1782
34

Up 282

Down 620

Zachary Taylor

1784
35

Up 236

Down 594

Benjamin Harrison

1833
36

Up 324

Down 839

Herbert Hoover

1874
37

Up 244

Down 636

John Tyler

1790
38

Up 232

Down 651

William Henry Harrison

1773
39

Up 255

Down 745

Warren G. Harding

1865
40

Up 194

Down 718

Franklin Pierce

1804
41

Up 205

Down 717

Millard Fillmore

1800
42

Up 250

Down 918

Andrew Johnson

1808
43

Up 201

Down 908

James Buchanan

1791
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Merrilee Offord
The Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time at 12/07/2012 10:30 PM

So this is where I can find Greatest U.S. Presidents.
Marlin Neumiller
The Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time at 8/17/2012 10:30 PM

This wasn't a bad best us presidents list.
Genna Ganis
The Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time at 6/24/2012 2:30 AM

I knew there was a place for best presidents of all time.
SuburbanChicagoPatriot
The Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time at 5/24/2012 10:55 AM

If more people knew about how Woodrow Wilson dramatically grew government's size and intrusion into daily life, causing a depression in 1920 that only lasted 18 months thanks to the fact that Warren G. Harding cut taxes in half and cut the size of government nearly in half, they would have ranked Harding much higher and Wilson much lower. Personally, I think Wilson and FDR should be ranked the two worst presidents.
sarcasmo65
The Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time at 4/30/2012 8:23 PM

Ronald Reagan is currently burning in hell where he so richly deserves to be. He's snaking on stale jellybeans and waiting for his cell mate George W. Bush to arrive. The extremism of the GOP was unleashed during Reagan and continues to get worse. They will destroy America. It's only a matter of time before we are reduced to 99% of us living in a 3rd world like country while the 1% are living in gated communities shut off the the consequences of the hell they have created.
1. Snappyjo
  The Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time at 5/08/2012 9:46 PM
  
  Your a pervert in every sense of the word. But the Great Ronald Reagan I'm sure still hopes the best for even human garbage like yourself.
  1. DigBick
    The Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time at 5/24/2012 11:01 AM
    
    while I wouldn't go as far as "sarcasmo65", Ronald Reagan was not a good president. He started the drug war, one of the most unsuccessful movements in our history. Sure, he was lovable as a person, but the guy was not wise with decisions. On the other side is Bill Clinton. People may not like him for his infidelities, but he was extremely good at his job. Nonetheless, I hate it when people disrespect any president we have. The president is the leader of our country, and had to have done something right to get there. If you don't like the way things are being done, do it better yourself.
sample
Abraham Lincoln at 4/29/2012 6:37 PM

what is this
excrementologist
The Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time at 4/04/2012 4:10 AM

Ronald Regan? Let's quote shall we?

"Further following his less-government intervention views, Reagan cut the budgets of non-military[146] programs[147] including Medicaid, food stamps, federal education programs[146] and the EPA.[148]"

"The administration's stance toward the Savings and Loan industry contributed to the Savings and loan crisis.[151] It is also suggested, by a minority of Reaganomics critics, that the policies partially influenced the stock market crash of 1987,[152] but there is no consensus regarding a single source for the crash.[153] In order to cover newly spawned federal budget deficits, the United States borrowed heavily both domestically and abroad, raising the national debt from $997 billion to $2.85 trillion.[154] Reagan described the new debt as the "greatest disappointment" of his presidency.[131]"

The pro-business changes to the US tax system enacted in his administration set the stage for the United State's current economic crisis! Ad him to the 'List of Worst Presidents' or the 'List of Presidents who care more about Big Business than the People'!

Don't confuse popular with great!
Pallknowing1
The Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time at 12/07/2011 2:50 PM

Fu*k James Madison
madeyefergy
Ronald Reagan at 10/25/2011 9:12 AM

He had his issues, like all, but he was the best President of the 20th Century.
madeyefergy
Bill Clinton at 10/25/2011 9:11 AM

Is this a joke...really, it is a joke, right? The man who made the office of President a laughing joke world-wide is on this list?
1. Siege
  The Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time at 4/13/2012 5:59 PM
  
  Of course he's on the list. They're all on it. 43 Presidents and 43 names on the list. Kind of stands to reason I would have thought. And he may have been a bit embarrassing but I'd rather have a President who couldn't keep his pants on than a brainless idiot and there's been a few of those over the years!
1. Chagoth
  The Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time at 12/31/2011 7:08 PM
  
  Barack Obama?
madeyefergy
Franklin D. Roosevelt at 10/25/2011 9:09 AM

This man gave us the welfare system and his great plans that everyone talks about failed for years until WWII. Read your history and quit listening to the media, which is so left-winged. Think for yourself people and do the research.