We revisit Henderson and Gochenour’s (2013) research on the link between presidential greatness rankings and war intensity—expanding it with additional historical data and control variables. We find that since 2000 historians tend to reward presidents overseeing intense wars, whereas this effect is weaker in mid-to-late twentieth-century assessments. This discrepancy suggests a shift in historical perspectives on presidential greatness related to war intensity.
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Chandler Reilly is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Metropolitan State University. His research focuses on analyzing the effects of government policy including those of the Department of Defense and the Department of Education.
Vincent J. Geloso is a Research Fellow at the Independent Institute and an Assistant Professor of Economics at George Mason University.
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