If you were to look at any list put together by anyone of the greatest American Presidents, would you expect to see Chester Arthur on it? Probably not, but you should. Arthur became the fourth VP to take over after a president died in office, and the second after a president was assassinated. Unlike his predecessors, though, Arthur recognized the importance of maintaining the former administration's policy agenda, and respected the wishes of the American people who elected James Garfield partially for his ambition to accomplish civil service reform.

Though Arthur was hardly a saint, he respected the presidency enough to not let partisanship and ideology influence his decision making, a rare achievement in any administration, especially considering he had little incentive to do so. Disappointing his allies who got him as far as the vice-presidency while also angering Garfield loyalists pushing for anti-monopoly legislation to lower tariffs, Arthur is a model for any president who wishes to achieve an apolitical reputation throughout their presidency. 

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