16th President · 1861–1865 · Republican
Abraham Lincoln
Saved the Union and ended slavery. A protectionist who built the transcontinental railroad, the Homestead Act and the land-grant colleges in the middle of a war. The greatest president.
In the Society’s PantheonOverallAGPA 4.02
The grades
- SovereigntyDid they put American interests first and keep decisions in American hands?A+
- HemisphereDid they guard the Americas against rival powers and threats?B+
- RestraintDid they keep the country out of wars of choice that weakened it?A
- StatecraftDid they use diplomacy, force and alliances skillfully, on American terms?A
- Industry and tradeDid they protect and build American industry?A
- Working AmericansDid ordinary working families do better because of them?A-
- BuildingDid they build things that lasted and push the frontier forward?A+
- NationDid they strengthen a shared American identity and the Union?A+
- CompetenceWere they capable, honest and effective in office?A+
On the axes
MarketEconomyPopulist
Free tradeTradeProtectionist
RestraintForeign policyInterventionist
CosmopolitanNationNational
Dark dot: Abraham Lincoln. Red mark: the Monroe Society. Ideological closeness to the Society: 94%.