Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty by Ivan Eland

From the Publisher

Profiling each president on the merits of their policies and on the core principles of peace, prosperity, and liberty, this ranking system takes a distinctly new approach. Historians and scholars have long tended to respect the war heroes and men who have succeeded in expanding the power of the executive office. However, this new examination cuts through longstanding bias and political rhetoric to offer a new nonpartisan system of ranking that is based purely on strength of policies and adherence to the Founding Father’s guidelines for limited government. These rankings will surprise most and enlighten even acknowledged experts on the presidency.

Edward A. Olsen

Concise assessments of each administration's domestic, defense and foreign policies. (Edward A. Olsen, emeritus professor, National Security Affairs, Naval Postgraduate School)

What People Are Saying

Richard Shenkman
Judging presidents by a deceptively simple metric-their impact on peace, prosperity and liberty-leads Eland to reach radical conclusions about the rankings of presidents. (Richard Shenkman, editor, History News Network, and author, Just How Stupid Are We? and Presidential Ambition )

Ronald Hamowy
We are propagandized to adulate all American presidents regardless of what their record might have been. Dr. Eland has provided a far more accurate account of the actions of these men (and they are indeed men, not gods). (Ronald Hamowy, professor emeritus of history, University of Alberta, Canada)

Ron Paul

While conventional accounts glorify the flagrant misdeeds of the 'Imperial Presidency,' this insightful and crucial book provides an inspiring vision for both conservatives and liberals.

Thomas DiLorenzo
According to American historians, the best presidents get us into the biggest wars, impose the most interventionist economic policies, and trample civil liberties by expanding executive power beyond what the Constitution permits. Eland makes a novel proposal: Why not rank presidents according to the traditional American values of peace, prosperity and liberty? Read this important new book and find out why John Tyler may be America's greatest president! (Thomas DiLorenzo, professor of economics, Loyola College, Maryland; author, The Real Lincoln, Lincoln Unmasked, and Hamilton's Curse)

Jonathan Bean
This new 'gold standard' for measuring presidential performance . . . will challenge your view of political history, one president at a time. (Jonathan Bean, professor of history, Southern Illinois University)

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