(Feb. 14) - It's no surprise to see Abraham Lincoln, the man who held the nation together when it was on the brink of collapse, atop the list of greatest American presidents.
But many other presidents are judged far differently by experts than by the general public.
Skip over this content
Bill Clinton left office with a high approval rating, but a panel of writers who focus on US politics and foreign affairs at the Times, a British publication, considered him mediocre. The president who passed progressive legislation but who saddled himself with the Monica Lewinsky scandal landed at number 23. As panelist Ben Macintyre put it, Clinton "promised so much, delivered so little and embarrassed everyone."
The panel of 8 judges ranked some modern day presidents like Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush at far ends of the spectrum. And others were close: John F. Kennedy missed the top 10 by one spot and Jimmy Carter barely managed to escape the bottom 10.
Click through the galleries below to see how these experts ranked American leaders and the reasons why. Further down the page you can tell us if you agree and test your knowledge with our presidential quiz. The full list is here. Plus, take the George Washington vs. Abraham Lincoln quiz.
Skip over this content
Test Your News IQ
Only one bachelor has ever occupied the White House. Who was it?
- James Buchanan
- Andrew Jackson
- James Monroe
- Zachary Taylor
Who was the tallest president?
- Abraham Lincoln
- Barack Obama
- Franklin Roosevelt
- George Washington
Which religion has been the most common among presidents?
- Baptist
- Episcopal
- Methodist
- Presbyterian
How many presidents were born outside of what is now the continental U.S.?
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
Besides Bill Clinton, which other president was impeached?
- William Henry Harrison
- James Polk
- Andrew Johnson
- Richard Nixon
Which president began the tradition of throwing out the first pitch at the start of the baseball season?
- Calvin Coolidge
- Warren Harding
- William Taft
- Woodrow Wilson
Who was the first president to travel abroad during his tenure?
- Grover Cleveland
- Benjamin Harrison
- William McKinley
- Theodore Roosevelt
Who had the first bathtub installed in the White House?
- John Quincy Adams
- Millard Fillmore
- Ulysses S. Grant
- Abraham Lincoln
