2018 | 1 to 44: The Best and the Worst of American Presidents

Presidential historian and former Dole Institute director Richard Norton Smith returns for a deep dive into presidential rankings and what they can teach us. Smith will guide the audience through an examination of the executive office from the exalted to the ignoble, with his participation in the annual C-SPAN Presidential Historians Survey serving as a backdrop. How do time and history shape our viewpoints of a president’s success or failure? A ranking is only the beginning of the story.

Ranking the Presidents
2/25/2018

Time, history and context can transform our perception of a president’s leadership — both for better and for worse. After all, presidential ratings are hardly etched in stone. Smith introduces the series by examining the multiple factors that cause ratings to fluctuate like the Kansas weather in April.

Learning from Success
2/27/2018

Take a look at the faces carved on Mount Rushmore, often considered giants of the American presidency. What can we learn from these, and other, successful chief executives? Smith draws upon various examples, dissecting each for their enduring lessons and relevant qualities.

Learning from Failure
3/12/2018

There is much to be learned about the presidency from both success and failure. Smith selects from a handful of less-than-stellar presidents, from James Buchanan and Franklin Pierce to Warren G. Harding and beyond, exploring what we might learn from their time in office.

Ranking the Modern Presidents, Kennedy to Obama
3/14/2018

Using the lessons learned from the first three installments of the series, Smith will guide the audience through the highs and lows of the last 10 presidencies. Spanning over 55 years of tumultuous history, these leaders presided over critical events that continue to affect our nation today.