Best/Worst Presidents for Handling the Economy

[vcczar]

From the Siena 2022 Poll

[Euri]

WH Harrison ranking at the bottom again… It’s strange that he and Harding are here, when others like Cleveland or Jackson would be much better fits for the bottom 12

[vcczar]

41 minutes ago, Euri said:

WH Harrison ranking at the bottom again… It’s strange that he and Harding are here, when others like Cleveland or Jackson would be much better fits for the bottom 12

I think a lot of it is due to stark disagreement among the panelists. 

You probably have a lot of people putting Harding or WH Harrison at the middle or below average, and then people putting Cleveland and Jackson at above average and bad, and it averages out to Harding and Harrison doing worse. 

The economy was great when Tyler and Pierce were president, so it doesn't make much sense to be that they're there. Furthermore, you don't get much handling of the economy by any president until Wilson, really...besides signing tariffs. 

[Euri]

7 minutes ago, vcczar said:

Furthermore, you don't get much handling of the economy by any president until Wilson, really...besides signing tariffs. 

I can really only think of Jackson’s shenanigans with the Bank and Specie Circular

[Murrman104]

You have the Greenback Free Silver/Gold stuff after the civil war which leads me to ask. Where tf is Grant in the worst list,the economy fell off a cliff under him. Ford in the worst list is also odd considering the economy improved under him, did people just think WIN was that silly that he deserved to be thrown in the bottom half alone. 

[Edouard]

The poll is interesting because it tells a lot about bias

Harding is no more responsible of the crisis than Coolidge but coolidge is cool so the bias is to let him out why he did nothing to prevent the situation

In full honesty for Carter and Bush they were presidents at a time where economy was bad everywhere the question is if their government performed better than others ones.

6% inflation is good right now for example.

For Hoover however it can be said that he did nothing against the growing crisis or just too few by ideology and there he can be blamed.

I don't see how Lincoln can be among the best presidents in a war time it's obvious that he couldn't. JFK has a too short termso that it can be said if he would have done good...

Edited February 20, 2023 by Edouard

[ShortKing]

The economy was mostly really good under Trump but I think his prioritization over cutting taxes while implementing protectionist measures and engaging in useless trade wars not only was a program that, at its best, would produce diminishing returns, and because of his own populist meddling, was not performing at its best. Not to mention that his mishandling of covid ultimately contributed to the economic consequences it entailed. 

[jnewt]

I’d choose Clinton and Reagan for the second question, too. It’s tough to argue that Clinton isn’t, at least, as responsible for the Great Recession as W. Bush.