The James Altucher Show

Ranking U.S. Presidents: Who Truly Deserves the Top Spot?


Listen Later

A Note from James:

So we have a brand new president of the United States, and of course, everyone has their opinion about whether President Trump has been good or bad, will be good and bad. Everyone has their opinion about Biden, Obama, and so on. But what makes someone a good president? What makes someone a bad president?

Obviously, we want our presidents to be moral and ethical, and we want them to be as transparent as possible with the citizens. Sometimes they can't be totally transparent—negotiations, economic policies, and so on. But we want our presidents to have courage without taking too many risks. And, of course, we want the country to grow economically, though that doesn't always happen because of one person.

I saw this list where historians ranked all the presidents from 1 to 47. I want to comment on it and share my take on who I think are the best and worst presidents. Some of my picks might surprise you.

Episode Description:

In this episode, James breaks down the rankings of U.S. presidents and offers his unique perspective on who truly deserves a spot in the top 10—and who doesn’t. Looking beyond the conventional wisdom of historians, he examines the impact of leadership styles, key decisions, and constitutional powers to determine which presidents left a lasting, positive impact. From Abraham Lincoln's crisis leadership to the underappreciated successes of James K. Polk and Calvin Coolidge, James challenges popular rankings and provides insights you won't hear elsewhere.

What You’ll Learn:
  • The key qualities that define a great president beyond just popularity.
  • Why Abraham Lincoln is widely regarded as the best president—and whether James agrees.
  • How Franklin D. Roosevelt’s policies might have extended the Great Depression.
  • The surprising president who expanded the U.S. more than anyone else.
  • Why Woodrow Wilson might actually be one of the worst presidents in history.
  • Timestamped Chapters:
    • [01:30] What makes a great president?
    • [02:29] The official duties of the presidency.
    • [06:54] Historians’ rankings of presidents.
    • [07:50] Why James doesn't discuss recent presidents.
    • [08:13] Abraham Lincoln’s leadership during crisis.
    • [14:16] George Washington: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
    • [22:16] Franklin D. Roosevelt—was he overrated?
    • [29:23] Harry Truman and the atomic bomb decision.
    • [35:29] The controversial legacy of Woodrow Wilson.
    • [42:24] The case for Calvin Coolidge.
    • [50:22] James K. Polk and America's expansion.
    • See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store

      The James Altucher ShowBy PodcastOne

      • 4.6
      • 4.6
      • 4.6
      • 4.6
      • 4.6

      4.6

      2,451 ratings


      More shows like The James Altucher Show

      View all
      The Tim Ferriss Show by Tim Ferriss: Bestselling Author, Human Guinea Pig

      The Tim Ferriss Show

      16,237 Listeners

      Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais by Dr. Michael Gervais

      Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais

      1,657 Listeners

      The Kevin Rose Show by Kevin Rose

      The Kevin Rose Show

      1,881 Listeners

      Founders by David Senra

      Founders

      1,754 Listeners

      Noah Kagan Presents by Noah Kagan

      Noah Kagan Presents

      901 Listeners

      Tom Bilyeu's Impact Theory by Impact Theory

      Tom Bilyeu's Impact Theory

      4,722 Listeners

      Masters of Scale by WaitWhat

      Masters of Scale

      3,986 Listeners

      Akimbo: A Podcast from Seth Godin by Seth Godin

      Akimbo: A Podcast from Seth Godin

      1,760 Listeners

      Modern Wisdom by Chris Williamson

      Modern Wisdom

      3,564 Listeners

      The Peter Attia Drive by Peter Attia, MD

      The Peter Attia Drive

      7,782 Listeners

      Talks at Google by Talks at Google

      Talks at Google

      120 Listeners

      The Daily Stoic by Daily Stoic | Wondery

      The Daily Stoic

      4,736 Listeners

      Naval by Naval

      Naval

      2,084 Listeners

      All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

      All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

      8,385 Listeners

      Moonshots with Peter Diamandis by PHD Ventures

      Moonshots with Peter Diamandis

      469 Listeners