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Presidential Greatness in a Polarized Era: Results from the Latest Presidential Greatness Survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2020

Brandon Rottinghaus Open the ORCID record for Brandon Rottinghaus [Opens in a new window] ,
Gregory Eady Open the ORCID record for Gregory Eady [Opens in a new window]  and
Justin S. Vaughn
Brandon Rottinghaus
Affiliation:
University of Houston
Gregory Eady
Affiliation:
University of Copenhagen
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Abstract

For generations, scholars have used surveys to examine presidential greatness. However, the rising tide of politicization calls these ratings into question. Can those who study the presidency offer fair judgments regardless of their political affiliation? Does their affiliation alter judgments of presidential greatness in historical or contemporary terms? Using a 2018 expert survey of political scientists who study the presidency, we find that party affiliation and ideological differences do alter—albeit slightly—perceptions of presidential greatness for both past and present presidents up to and including Donald Trump. Our results call into question such ratings insofar as they exist absent the political and ideological context of the reviewer.

Type
Article
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 53 , Issue 3 , July 2020 , pp. 413 - 420
Copyright
© American Political Science Association, 2020

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References

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