33rd President · 1945–1953 · Democratic
Harry S. Truman
Built the Marshall Plan and NATO and desegregated the armed forces. Took the country into Korea without a declaration of war.
OverallB+GPA 3.24
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?C+
- StatecraftDid they use diplomacy, force and alliances skillfully, on American terms?A
- Industry and tradeDid they protect and build American industry?B
- Working AmericansDid ordinary working families do better because of them?B+
- BuildingDid they build things that lasted and push the frontier forward?B
- NationDid they strengthen a shared American identity and the Union?B+
- CompetenceWere they capable, honest and effective in office?B+
On the axes
MarketEconomyPopulist
Free tradeTradeProtectionist
RestraintForeign policyInterventionist
CosmopolitanNationNational
Dark dot: Harry S. Truman. Red mark: the Monroe Society. Ideological closeness to the Society: 64%.