Recarving Rushmore : ranking the presidents on peace, prosperity, and liberty : updated rankings from George Washington to Barack Obama

Evaluating presidents on the merits of whether their policies promoted peace, prosperity, and liberty, this ranking system takes a distinctly new approach. Historians and scholars have long tended to give higher rankings to presidents who served during wartime, were well spoken, or exceeded in expanding the power of the executive office. However, this new examination cuts through these longstanding biases and political rhetoric to offer a new nonpartisan system of ranking that is based purely on how well each president’s policies adhered with the founders’ original intention of limiting federal power in all its aspects. As a result, the book provides an alternative history of the United States as seen through the founders’ likely vision of subsequent presidential actions. These presidential rankings will surprise most and enlighten even acknowledged experts on the presidency. Cover 1 Title 2 Dedication 3 Copyright 3 Contents 4 Introduction 8 1. George Washington: A Precedent-Setting Presidency — Both Good and Bad 26 2. John Adams: Used the Quasi-War with France to Restrict Civil Liberties 32 3. Thomas Jefferson: A Hypocrite on Limited Government 37 4. James Madison: Started an Unneeded War That Got the U.S. Capital Burned 45 5. James Monroe: The First Wisps of Permanent Government Expansion 57 6. John Quincy Adams: A Federalist Wearing a Democrat's Clothes 62 7. Andrew Jackson: Aggressive against Indians and Southerners 67 8. Martin Van Buren: Practiced What He Preached 77 9. William Henry Harrison: Served for Thirty-one Days 83 10. John Tyler: " . . . and Tyler Too!" 84 11. James K. Polk: War for Land to Carry Out Aggressive Manifest Destiny 90 12. Zachary Taylor: Risked Civil War Years before It Happened 99 13. Millard Fillmore: Avoided an Earlier Civil War, but at a Cost 103 14. Franklin Pierce: Made Civil War More Likely 108 15. James Buchanan: Should Have Let the South Go in Peace 113 16. Abraham Lincoln: Provoked a Catastrophic Civil War That Achieved Far Less Than Believed 123 17. Andrew Johnson: Uncompromising Attitude Led to Harsh Reconstruction Policies 138 18. Ulysses S. Grant: Better Than Expected, but Still Poor 146 19. Rutherford B. Hayes: Practiced Military Restraint, Except with Indians 157 20. James A. Garfield: Served for Six Months 164 21. Chester A. Arthur: Promoted Limited Government and Fought Inflation 165 22. Grover Cleveland: Exemplar of Honesty and Limited Government 170 23. Benjamin Harrison: Bad Economics and the Use of Coercion at Home and Abroad 179 24. Grover Cleveland: Served a Second, Nonconsecutive Term 184 25. William Mckinley: The First Modern President, with Imperialist Aspirations 185 26. Theodore Roosevelt: Overrated in Accomplishments and Significance 194 27. William Howard Taft: Not a Hefty Policy Innovator 213 28. Woodrow Wilson: Made the World Safe for War, Autocracy, and Colonialism 219 29. Warren G. Harding: Scandals Masked a Good Presidency 237 30. Calvin Coolidge: Silent Cal's Presidency Should Silence the Critics 243 31. Herbert Hoover: Sucked the Economy into the Great Depression 249 32. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Lied the Nation into War and Expanded Government 255 33. Harry S Truman: The First Imperial President 274 34. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Overt Dove and Covert Hawk 293 35. John F. Kennedy: Almost Incinerated the World So as Not to Appear Weak 306 36. Lyndon B. Johnson: A Failure with Both Guns and Butter 319 37. Richard M. Nixon: Undermined the Republic at Home; Had a Mixed Record Abroad 331 38. Gerald R. Ford: Pardon Me! 342 39. James Earl Carter, Jr.: The Best Modern President 351 40. Ronald Reagan: Not Really That Conservative 366 41. George H. W. Bush: " Read My Lips," No Real Accomplishments 379 42. William J. Clinton: More Fiscally Conservative Than Reagan and the Bushes 389 43. George W. Bush: Interventionist Policies Undermined the Republic at Home and Peace Abroad 408 44. Barack Obama: Only a Slightly Improved Version of George W. Bush 434 Conclusion 461 Notes 466 Index 496 About the Author 522 Profiling Each President On The Merits Of Their Policies And On The Core Principles Of Peace, Prosperity, And Liberty, This Ranking System Takes A Distinctly New Approach. Historians And Scholars Have Long Tended To Respect The War Heroes And Men Who Have Succeeded In Expanding The Power Of The Executive Office. However, This New Examination Cuts Through Longstanding Bias And Political Rhetoric To Offer A New Nonpartisan System Of Ranking That Is Based Purely On Strength Of Policies And Adherence To The Founding Father's Guidelines For Limited Government. These Rankings Will Surprise Most And Enlighten Even Acknowledged Experts On The Presidency.--publisher's Description. Ivan Eland. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 459-488) And Index.