Presidential Greatness (review)

Abstract

Landy and Milkis provide a book on presidential greatness very different from what has been written previously. They identify five great presidents using the criteria of having vision and serving as agents for change. These presidents were able to educate the populace and were builders and leaders of their political parties. Public education and party leadership may be important, but they are not necessarily obvious as the sole determinants of great presidents. In chapter one, the authors lay out these two criteria for greatness. Party is called "the most important source of democratic presidential accountability" (4). Obviously, George Washington did not excel in party leadership. The second criterion is that these great presidents also "took the people to school" by providing citizen education.