Top Five Great Presidents

Paper Summary:

This paper uses the criteria established by Robert Dallek in his book "Hail to the Chief. The Making and Unmaking of American Presidents" to determine which presidents of the United States qualify as the top five. Citing Dallek's conclusion that the five characteristics found in the most effective presidents are vision, pragmatism, consensus, charisma and credibility, the paper assesses which presidents possess these qualities and concludes that Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are the top five U.S. presidents ever.

From the Paper:

"Dallek points out that the White House today is as removed from Washington's day as space travel is from the horse and buggy, and that the global responsibilities a president faces today actually dwarf those his counterpart encountered in the 1790's, as well as the president's impact on the economic and social life of the country. Because of nuclear weapons, electronic communications, and national and international responsibilities, presidents today are forced to think and act differently than earlier predecessors, however, the elements of compelling leadership have remained unchanged through the years."

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