If there was such a thing as a perfect president, what would that president look like? We might say that the president would be as honest as Grover Cleveland, unite the country like Abraham Lincoln, protect vulnerable Americans like Dwight Eisenhower, and create a vision for the country like John F. Kennedy. If we had a president who did all these things, perhaps our nation would be problem-free.
The United States has never had a perfect president. Nevertheless, the nation has experienced strong presidents who excelled in a number of areas - and also weaker presidents who struggled in more ways than they succeeded. With over 200 years of presidential history to consider, we may consider how past presidents have provided a blueprint by demonstrating successful and unsuccessful examples of presidential performance. In doing so, we can identify why the strong presidents succeeded and why other presidents struggled without reverting to political ideology.
Why Are Some Presidents Better Than Others? is the book that focuses on this issue. While political discussions too often follow predictable patterns of political tribalism, Why Are Some Presidents Better Than Others? looks into the deeper issues of what makes for a successful presidency.
