Hall of Fame - US Party Platform Retrospective

Individuals, policies, and parties ranked by their retrospective grades across all analyses (Top 50 in each category). Grades reflect long-term outcomes and impact, not intentions or popularity at the time.
A = Prescient/effective B = Generally successful C = Mixed results D = Failed to deliver F = Harmful/abandoned

Individuals

#1 A

Frances Perkins

1936

#2 A

Dean Acheson

1948

#3 A

Abraham Lincoln

#4 A

Franklin D. Roosevelt

1932 1936 1940 1944

#5 A

Nancy Pelosi

2008 2020

#6 A-

Harry S. Truman

1944 1948 1952

#7 A-

Dwight D. Eisenhower

1952 1956 1960

#8 A-

Edward M. Kennedy

1972

#9 A-

Republican Congressional leadership

1860

#10 A-

Arthur Vandenberg

1944

#11 A-

Arthur H. Vandenberg

1948

#12 A-

Theodore Roosevelt

1900 1904 1908

#13 A-

Cordell Hull

1932 1944

#14 A-

Thaddeus Stevens

1864 1868

#15 B+

Al Gore

1992 1996 2000

#16 B+

Barack Obama

2008 2012 2016

#17 B+

Oscar Underwood

1912

#18 B+

Carter Glass

1932

#19 B+

Harry Hopkins

1936 1940

#20 B+

Sargent Shriver

1968

#21 B+

George McGovern

1972

#22 B+

John Kerry

2004

#23 B+

Hillary Clinton

2016

#24 B+

William H. Seward

1860

#25 B+

Nelson W. Aldrich

1908

#26 B+

Elihu Root

1912

#27 B+

Henry Kissinger

1972

#28 B+

Ronald Reagan

1976 1980 1984 1988

#29 B+

Jack Kemp

1980 1992

#30 B+

Mitch McConnell

2016

#31 B+

Lyndon B. Johnson

1956 1960 1964 1968 1964

#32 B+

Martin Van Buren

1840 1844

#33 B+

William McKinley

1892 1896 1900 1904

#34 B

William Jennings Bryan

1896 1900 1904 1908 1912

#35 B

William Howard Taft

1908 1912 1916

#36 B

Joe Biden

2008 2012 2020 2024

#37 B

James K. Polk

1840 1844 1848

#38 B

Salmon P. Chase

1868

#39 B

William L. Scott

1888

#40 B

Al Smith

1928

#41 B

Adlai Stevenson

1952

#42 B

Adlai Stevenson II

1956

#43 B

John F. Kennedy

1960

#44 B

Hubert H. Humphrey

1964

#45 B

Hubert Humphrey

1968

#46 B

Jimmy Carter

1976 1980

#47 B

Michael Dukakis

1988

#48 B

Bill Clinton

1992 1996 2000

#49 B

Ulysses S. Grant

1868 1872 Republican 1876

#50 B

Benjamin Harrison

1888 1892

Policies

#1 A

Constitutional abolition of slavery (Thirteenth Amendment)

1864

#2 A

Linking slavery as root cause of rebellion and demanding its ‘extirpation’

1864

#3 A

Separation of government money from banks (Independent Treasury)

1844

#4 A

Early, rapid inter-oceanic communication as a political and military necessity

1860 Democratic

#5 A

Expansion of Interstate Commerce Commission powers over railroads and trusts

1896

#6 A

Direct election of U.S. Senators

1900 1904

#7 A

Federal income tax via constitutional amendment

1908

#8 A

Direct popular election of U.S. Senators

1908

#9 A

Federal income tax implementation

1912

#10 A

Direct election of U.S. senators (17th Amendment support)

1912

#11 A

Parcel post and expansion of rural mail delivery

1912

#12 A

National aid for good roads and post roads

1916

#13 A

Creation of an executive-led national budget system

1920

#14 A

Public development of Muscle Shoals and water power

1924

#15 A

Regulation of fraudulent securities and over-capitalized corporations

1924

#16 A

Counter-cyclical public works to combat unemployment

1928

#17 A

Reform to prevent lame-duck congressional sessions

1928

#18 A

Repeal of Prohibition and state-regulated alcohol markets

1932

#19 A

Stricter bank supervision and relief for depositors of failed banks

1932

#20 A

Federal regulation of securities offerings and exchanges

1932

#21 A

Creation and expansion of Social Security for old age, unemployment, and dependents

1936

#22 A

Rural electrification and infrastructure support

1936

#23 A

Total defense build-up and invincible air force

1940

#24 A

Rural electrification and river-basin development (TVA-style)

1940

#25 A

Creation of international organization with power to prevent aggression (future UN)

1944

#26 A

Self-government and eventual statehood for Alaska and Hawaii

1944

#27 A

Veterans’ benefits and full employment for ex-servicemen and women

1944

#28 A

Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine aid commitments

1948

#29 A

Creation of a National Science Foundation and expanded federal research support

1948

#30 A

Collective security via UN, NATO, and regional pacts

1952

#31 A

Expansion of Social Security benefits and coverage

1952

#32 A

Federal investment in scientific and technical education for defense

1956

#33 A

Introduction of a food stamp program and expanded nutrition aid

1956

#34 A

Civil rights support for desegregation and equal opportunity

1956

#35 A

Progressive immigration reform ending national-origins quotas

1956

#36 A

Liberalization of immigration and end of national-origins quotas

1960

#37 A

Medicare-style health insurance for the aged via Social Security

1960

#38 A

Medicare (hospital care for older Americans via Social Security)

1964

#39 A

Civil Rights Act enforcement and broader anti-discrimination agenda

1964

#40 A

Lowering the voting age to 18

1968

#41 A

Comprehensive environmental protection and pollution control

1968

#42 A

Abolition of the draft

1972

#43 A

Opposition to a constitutional balanced budget amendment

1984

#44 A

Anti-apartheid sanctions and Namibia independence strategy

1984

#45 A

Anti-apartheid sanctions and comprehensive pressure on South Africa

1988

#46 A

Defense of Social Security against privatization

2000

#47 A

Civil rights for LGBT Americans (repeal DADT, oppose DOMA, workplace equality)

2008

#48 A

Marriage equality and LGBT civil-rights expansion

2012

#49 A

Denial of legal authority to establish slavery in U.S. territories

1856

#50 A

Construction of a federally supported Pacific railroad and emigrant road

1856

Parties

#1 A-

Democratic Party 1932

1932

#2 A-

Democratic Party 1936

1936

#3 A-

Democratic Party 1940

1940

#4 A-

Democratic Party 1944

1944

#5 A-

Democratic Party 1948

1948

#6 A-

Republican Party 1856

1856

#7 A-

Republican Party 1860

1860

#8 A-

Republican Party 1864

1864

#9 B+

Democratic Party 1912

1912

#10 B+

Democratic Party 1924

1924

#11 B+

Democratic Party 1928

1928

#12 B+

Democratic Party 1952

1952

#13 B+

Democratic Party 1956

1956

#14 B+

Democratic Party 1960

1960

#15 B+

Democratic Party 1968

1968

#16 B+

Democratic Party 1988

1988

#17 B+

Democratic Party 2008

2008

#18 B+

Republican Party 1868

1868

#19 B+

Republican Party 1896

1896

#20 B

Democratic Party 1888

1888

#21 B

Democratic Party 1908

1908

#22 B

Democratic Party 1920

1920

#23 B

Democratic Party 1972

1972

#24 B

Democratic Party 1984

1984

#25 B

Democratic Party 1996

1996

#26 B

Democratic Party 2000

2000

#27 B

Democratic Party 2012

2012

#28 B

Democratic Party 2016

2016

#29 B

Democratic Party 2020

2020

#30 B

Republican Party 1888

1888

#31 B

Republican Party 1892

1892

#32 B

Republican Party 1900

1900

#33 B

Republican Party 1904

1904

#34 B

Republican Party 1908

1908

#35 B

Republican Party 1948

1948

#36 B

Republican Party 1952

1952

#37 B

Republican Party 1956

1956

#38 B

Republican Party 1960

1960

#39 B

Republican Party 1980

1980

#40 B-

Democratic Party 1900

1900

#41 B-

Democratic Party 1904

1904

#42 B-

Democratic Party 1916

1916

#43 B-

Democratic Party 1964

1964

#44 B-

Democratic Party 1976

1976

#45 B-

Democratic Party 1980

1980

#46 B-

Democratic Party 1992

1992

#47 B-

Democratic Party 2004

2004

#48 B-

Democratic Party 2024

2024

#49 B-

Republican Party 1872

1872 Republican

#50 B-

Republican Party 1912

1912