What Makes a Great President? by Stephen Tryon
“A fascinating lesson in U.S. history, taking readers through the times, triumphs and challenges facing each of the eight presidents studied.”
Looking to make the most informed decision about who to vote for in the upcoming presidential election?
If you want to pick the candidate you believe has the better chance to be one of our best presidents ever, then consider reading the new book What Makes a Great President? in which author Stephen Tryon studies the traits and credentials of our past presidents to understand what made them special or not so special.
Tryon does not judge for himself but rather taps into existing ranking sources to zero in on which chief executives are generally regarded as the four best and the four worst (excluding the three most recent presidents citing not enough time yet to assess their legacy). He then analyzes their experience, accomplishments, historical context, public persona and personality traits to establish criteria for why they were regarded as so successful or not.
“The purpose of this book,” writes Tryon, “is to explore what the right character is and is not, precisely, as it has been manifest in the behaviors of the best and worst presidents of the past 234 years.”
The book is divided into segments: (1) a study of the four best presidents based on popular rankings and their common threads (Washington, Lincoln and the two Roosevelts); (2) a study of the four worst (Pierce, Buchanan, Andrew Johnson and Harding); (3) some of the notable, inspirational speeches by the presidents; (4) a segment on what Tryon calls the Seventh Party System; and (5) his final conclusions.
A Case Study of Eight Presidents
What Makes a Great President?, as much as anything, is a fascinating lesson in U.S. history, taking readers through the times, triumphs and challenges facing each of the eight presidents studied. While readers could argue that the accomplishments or failures of any president might measure up to the eight in this book, the point is not so much to make the case for a particular president’s ranking. Rather, it is to show common threads and factors to look for and consider in the makeup of those who successfully (or not) navigated the issues of their times, brought people together, served as role models and inspirations, were trusted by all factions, and left powerful, positive legacies for future generations.
Tryon’s case for a Seventh Party System is an intriguing one, arguing that current party and people dynamics are often based on their upbringings and which parties their families supported. Tryon defines his Seventh Party as “an electorate that is overloaded with information and misinformation, and that, to a large degree, lacks the tools to process information effectively at a scale required for effective citizenship.”
Great Resource to Consult Before Voting
In What Makes a Great President?, Stephen Tryon has created a scorecard to rate candidates on the factors that are important in predicting success.
For any major life decision – changing jobs, buying a home, for example – isn’t it helpful, even logical, to draw a line down a piece of paper and list all the pros and cons?
That, in effect, is what Stephen Tryon has given us here, doing much of the legwork in identifying the categories, sharing in some rich history, and reminding us of the good, bad and ugly of some of the people who have held our nation’s highest office.
“Using this tool is one simple way citizens can process the information that bombards us during a presidential election, cut through the marketing tag lines, and make the best possible choice based on substance.”
So spitting in all the information and filling out your own scorecard, what’s the result? Does Tryon’s system help identify the winner?
See you on November 5th.
What Makes a Great President? is available for purchase at accountabilitycitizenship.org
About Stephen Tryon:
Stephen Tryon is the youngest of eight children from a military family. He joined the Army after high school and served on five continents. From a desperate firefight over a defector to a near-fatal parachute accident to preparing the Army’s senior general for congressional hearings, Stephen’s military experience gives him a unique perspective on how our government works, and how it could work better. In the world of business and technology, Stephen’s ongoing adventures include managing enormous warehouses, overseeing technical implementations and chasing business deals from Sligo to Shanghai. Stephen lives in Salt Lake City. He loves cooking, traveling, and spending time with family. Visit www.accountabilitycitizenship.org.
Publish Date: 8/30/2024
Genre: Nonfiction, Politics
Author: Stephen Tryon
Page Count: 132 pages
Publisher: Accountability Citizenship
ISBN: 9798989814510