Where They Stand

The ranking of U.S. presidents by historians and political scientists is a well-known and often enjoyably debated subject. The "experts" over the years have examined a number of factors for their rankings. As years and decades progress and the president in question can be examined in further context or with new information, these rankings are sometimes adjusted. Political journalist Merry (A Country of Vast Designs), a veteran Washington journalist, looks at these academic rankings, examines their correlation with the electorate's original judgement, and shows what this correlation tells us about the presidency and how presidents succeed or fail. Discussions about the truly great, the failures, those in between, and some commentary by Merry on the five most recent presidents make for compelling analysis of presidential politics.