In general, those on this list were presidents who changed the course of history and shaped America for generations to come. While some of their policies were not always successful, they were leaders who defined an era.
While most of these men ranked high on domestic and foreign policy, it is the ones who were able to straddle the ideological divide and appeal to both sides that rose to the top of our rankings. This is because they were able to sway both neoconservatives and liberals with their leadership, not just by their policies. For example, Franklin D. Roosevelt ended the bank crisis with his Emergency Banking Act and fireside chats, preserving American financial stability (and preventing a massive depression). He created Social Security and ushered in decades of prosperity in America. He struck a middle ground with his foreign policy that wasn’t too aggressive for neoconservatives and not too interventionist for anti-war liberals.
The President of the United States has a lot of power, whether it is the power to initiate war, make treaties, or create intelligence agencies. But one of the most important parts of the job is being a unifying leader for the entire country and not just his own political party or supporters. This is something that George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt exemplified during their two terms as the nation’s first Presidents.
In addition to their unifying role, they had a knack for fundraising and engaging with donors on a personal level. This is an essential trait for leaders at all levels, including Montclair State’s President, who must be a leader who expands resources to support the University and its mission.