<P> They concluded that "the results indicate that military deaths as a percentage of population is a major determinant of greatness in the eyes of historians ." </P> <P> In 2002, Ronald Walters, former director of the University of Maryland's African American Leadership Institute, stated that presidents ranked by how each one balanced the interests of majority interests and the interests of excluded groups was practical in respect to American debate on racial politics . Presidents have traditionally been ranked on personal qualities and their leadership ability to solve problems that move the nation in a positive direction . Walters stated there was a qualitative difference between white and African - American intellectuals in evaluating presidents . In the 1996 New York Times poll by Arthur Schlesinger Jr., 31 white historians and one black historian ranked presidents on differing categories of greatness . In a survey done by professors Hanes Walton Jr. and Robert Smith, in their text book American Politics And The African American Quest For Universal Freedom, 44 African - American political scientists and historians ranked presidents in terms of racial attitudes and racial legislation proposed . Individual presidents' attitudes, policies, and perspectives were historically ranked in five categories: White Supremacist; Racist; Racially Neutral; Racially Ambivalent; Antiracist . </P> <P> According to a Rasmussen poll conducted in 2007, six presidents--George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy--were rated favorably by at least 80% of Americans . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> President </Th> <Th> Favorable </Th> <Th> Unfavorable </Th> <Th> Net favorable </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> George Washington </Td> <Td> 94 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 92 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Abraham Lincoln </Td> <Td> 92 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 88 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Thomas Jefferson </Td> <Td> 89 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 85 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Theodore Roosevelt </Td> <Td> 84 </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> 76 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Franklin D. Roosevelt </Td> <Td> 81 </Td> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> 69 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> John F. Kennedy </Td> <Td> 80 </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> 67 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> John Adams </Td> <Td> 74 </Td> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> 65 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> James Madison </Td> <Td> 73 </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> 65 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ronald Reagan </Td> <Td> 72 </Td> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> 50 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Dwight D. Eisenhower </Td> <Td> 72 </Td> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> 57 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Harry S. Truman </Td> <Td> 70 </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> 56 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Andrew Jackson </Td> <Td> 69 </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> 55 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Gerald Ford </Td> <Td> 62 </Td> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> 36 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> John Quincy Adams </Td> <Td> 59 </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> 52 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ulysses S. Grant </Td> <Td> 58 </Td> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> 34 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> George H.W. Bush </Td> <Td> 57 </Td> <Td> 41 </Td> <Td> 16 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Jimmy Carter </Td> <Td> 57 </Td> <Td> 34 </Td> <Td> 23 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> William Howard Taft </Td> <Td> 57 </Td> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> 42 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Woodrow Wilson </Td> <Td> 56 </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> 37 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Bill Clinton </Td> <Td> 55 </Td> <Td> 41 </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> James Monroe </Td> <Td> 49 </Td> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> 39 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Herbert Hoover </Td> <Td> 48 </Td> <Td> 34 </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Lyndon B. Johnson </Td> <Td> 45 </Td> <Td> 42 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Andrew Johnson </Td> <Td> 45 </Td> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Chester A. Arthur </Td> <Td> 43 </Td> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> 26 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> James A. Garfield </Td> <Td> 42 </Td> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> 26 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> William McKinley </Td> <Td> 42 </Td> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> 18 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> George W. Bush </Td> <Td> 41 </Td> <Td> 59 </Td> <Td> − 18 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Grover Cleveland </Td> <Td> 40 </Td> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Calvin Coolidge </Td> <Td> 38 </Td> <Td> 31 </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Rutherford B. Hayes </Td> <Td> 38 </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Richard Nixon </Td> <Td> 32 </Td> <Td> 60 </Td> <Td> − 28 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Benjamin Harrison </Td> <Td> 30 </Td> <Td> 35 </Td> <Td> − 5 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Warren G. Harding </Td> <Td> 29 </Td> <Td> 33 </Td> <Td> − 4 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> James Buchanan </Td> <Td> 28 </Td> <Td> 32 </Td> <Td> − 4 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> James K. Polk </Td> <Td> 27 </Td> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> 6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Zachary Taylor </Td> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Martin Van Buren </Td> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> William Henry Harrison </Td> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Franklin Pierce </Td> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> − 8 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Millard Fillmore </Td> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> − 8 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> John Tyler </Td> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> − 6 </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who is rated the best president of the united states