cover image Presidential Greatness

Presidential Greatness

Marc Karnis Landy, Sidney M. Milkis. University Press of Kansas, $34.95 (278pp) ISBN 978-0-7006-1005-1

Listing their picks of the United States' five greatest presidents, political scientists Landy (Boston College) and Milkis (University of Virginia) cite the prerequisite defined by Madison in The Federalist. A chief executive's primary function, said Madison, is to ""refine and enlarge public views."" The authors tell us a great president is part visionary, part social innovator and part stern parent pointing out the duties of citizens in a republic. Landy and Milkis's first pick, George Washington, insisted that popular opinion must be enlightened by inspired rhetorical leadership. Both Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt (also on this presidential A-list), the author says, answered Washington's admonition when they inspired fickle electorates to achieve great things during times of severe adversity. Another of the top five, Thomas Jefferson, is congratulated for inoculating Americans with a healthy mistrust of elites. And Andrew Jackson makes the cut for his stand on nullification. The limit to five presidents, however, is unhelpful. Why, for example, ignore Theodore Roosevelt? An inspirational innovator in overdrive, he reshaped the language of American politics with his eloquent pronouncements from ""the Bully Pulpit."" How many other presidents--among them Madison--also held facets of greatness within them? Landy and Milkis don't tell us. While convincing as far as it goes, this is an arbitrarily short consideration of presidential personalities and accomplishments. (Mar.)