Every US President: How Liberal or Conservative Were They?

From George Washington’s establishment of the federal government to the ideological battles of the present day, every American president has influenced the country’s political direction. Some expanded the power of Washington, regulated businesses and created social programs. Others promoted lower taxes, states’ rights, traditional social values and a smaller federal government. Several combined policies normally associated with both sides. The history of the American presidency rarely follows a perfectly straight ideological line. Some presidents were socially progressive but fiscally cautious. Others promoted tax cuts and deregulation while expanding spending, debt or executive power. Several defended individual liberty in one area while restricting it in another. So when rating, one must consider taxation, government expenditure, regulation, welfare programs, tariffs, debt, central banking, organized labor and the president’s general view of the federal government’s economic role. One must also account for the president’s record on civil rights, slavery, race, immigration, religion, personal freedom, gender equality, criminal justice and other major social questions of his era as well as their economic policy In this quadrant, we are asking you to rate every presidency on two separate scales: Social ideology -10 means extremely liberal or progressive. 10 means extremely conservative or traditionalist. Fiscal ideology -10 means extremely conservative or free-market-oriented. 10 means extremely liberal or interventionist. These ratings should be based primarily on what each president did in office — not simply on his party, campaign promises or personal rhetoric. Historical context matters as well. “Liberal” and “conservative” did not mean the same thing in 1800 that they mean today, and the Democratic and Republican parties have changed considerably over time. A single label cannot fully describe a president who supported civil rights but defended the gold standard, reduced taxes but increased expenditure, or promoted personal freedom while limiting immigration. So tell us, which presidents moved America to the left, which moved it to the right, and which were more ideologically complicated than their reputations suggest?