US Trends

who was the best president

Most historians and expert surveys say there is no single universally agreed “best” U.S. president, but Abraham Lincoln is the most common top pick, with Franklin D. Roosevelt and George Washington usually close behind.

Quick Scoop: Why it’s so debated

The question “who was the best president” depends on what you value most: winning wars, expanding rights, economic growth, or moral leadership.

Modern rankings are based on composite scores like crisis leadership, accomplishments, political skills, and integrity, and different scholars weigh these differently.

Top contenders most often named

Abraham Lincoln

  • Led the Union during the Civil War and prevented the breakup of the United States.
  • Pushed the abolition of slavery, including the Emancipation Proclamation and support for the 13th Amendment, which is why many surveys rank him number one overall.
  • Scores extremely high in “crisis leadership,” “vision,” and “pursuit of equal justice,” which are key categories in expert polls.

In many modern “greatness” surveys, if you had to pick one answer to “who was the best president,” Lincoln usually wins.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

  • Guided the U.S. through the Great Depression with the New Deal, reshaping the federal government’s role in the economy.
  • Led the country through most of World War II, cementing the U.S. as a global superpower.
  • Often ranked in the top three for his mix of economic, social, and wartime leadership.

George Washington

  • Set the precedent for a peaceful transfer of power by voluntarily stepping down after two terms, which shaped the entire presidency.
  • Helped stabilize the new republic, defining what the office of the president would be in practice.
  • Frequently appears near the top in historical rankings, especially for “foundational” leadership and character.

Other frequently praised presidents

  • Theodore Roosevelt – Known for trust-busting, conservation, and a strong “bully pulpit,” he routinely appears in the top 5–10 of rankings.
  • Lyndon B. Johnson – Gets high marks for major civil rights laws (Civil Rights Act 1964, Voting Rights Act 1965), though his legacy is complicated by Vietnam.
  • Barack Obama, Harry Truman, Thomas Jefferson, Dwight Eisenhower, James K. Polk – All appear relatively high in many lists for different mixes of foreign policy, reform, and crisis management.

Forum-type discussions today also often bring up Washington, Lincoln, FDR, Teddy Roosevelt, and sometimes Eisenhower as “shortlists” for best ever.

How historians rank them today

Across recent academic and media surveys, some patterns keep showing up:

  • Lincoln is usually ranked first or at least in the top two.
  • FDR and Washington almost always round out the top three.
  • Theodore Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, and Jefferson usually land in the top 10.
  • Rankings can shift slightly over time as new scholarship, politics, and current events change how people interpret past presidencies.

A recent “presidential greatness” visualization based on a 2024 survey still shows Lincoln, Washington, and FDR clustered at the top, confirming that expert opinion hasn’t radically changed.

So, who was the best president?

If you want the simplest, historically grounded one-line answer:

  • Most expert rankings would say Abraham Lincoln was the best president , mainly for preserving the Union and advancing the end of slavery during the Civil War.

But if you care more about economic transformation and modern social policy, you might pick FDR; if you value founding principles and restraint in power, you might say Washington; and if you focus on conservation and progressive reforms, Theodore Roosevelt or others may be your choice.

Note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.