Who was the best us president? each president of the united states of america has left behind a legacy, some more notable than others. who do you believe was the best american president? write a multi-paragraph essay that explains who you believe was the best us president and why. be sure to support your choice using examples and details that back up your argument. as you write, remember your essay will be scored based on how well you: develop a multi-paragraph response to the assigned topic that clearly communicates your controlling idea to the audience. support your controlling idea with meaningful examples, reasons, and information based upon your research or readings. organize your essay in a clear and logical manner, including an introduction, body, and conclusion. use well-structured sentences and language that are appropriate for your audience. edit your work to conform to the conventions of standard american english.

Abraham Lincoln remains America’s best president, if the opinion of presidential historians is anything to go by. In C-SPAN’s latest survey of presidential leadership (pdf), which polled 91 presidential historians, Lincoln retained “top billing” as the country’s most esteemed leader. James Buchanan came in last place, beating out William Henry Harrison, who only served for 31 days.

In his first appearance in the survey, last conducted in 2009, Barack Obama was ranked 12th, sandwiched between Woodrow Wilson and James Monroe. George W. Bush “benefited somewhat from the passing of the years,” moving  2009.

The survey ranked the former leaders on 10 “attributes of leadership.” These ranged from the moral categories of “crisis leadership,” “moral authority,” “pursued equal justice for all,” to the more technical ones of “economic management,” “administrative skills,” “performance within context of times,” and “setting an agenda,” and included relations with the public, Congress, and other governments.