Ranking The Country's Best And Worst Presidents

06:43

February 21, 2011

Presidents Day combines the commemoration of the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, who both appear at or near the top of lists that rank the country's presidents.

Who was the best president? The rankings usually put George Washington and Abraham Lincoln at the top. While Rutherford Hayes, Herbert hoover and John Tyler round out the bottom.

Julian Zelizer says these rankings tell us very little about the quality or impact of our presidents. Zelizer is professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School and he joins us to make his case.

This segment aired on February 21, 2011.