2nd President · 1797–1801 · Federalist
John Adams
Kept the country out of a full war with France at the cost of his own reelection, and built the Navy. The Alien and Sedition Acts were a serious overreach.
OverallBGPA 3.07
The grades
- SovereigntyDid they put American interests first and keep decisions in American hands?A-
- HemisphereDid they guard the Americas against rival powers and threats?B
- RestraintDid they keep the country out of wars of choice that weakened it?A
- StatecraftDid they use diplomacy, force and alliances skillfully, on American terms?B+
- Industry and tradeDid they protect and build American industry?B
- Working AmericansDid ordinary working families do better because of them?C+
- BuildingDid they build things that lasted and push the frontier forward?B
- NationDid they strengthen a shared American identity and the Union?C+
- CompetenceWere they capable, honest and effective in office?B
On the axes
MarketEconomyPopulist
Free tradeTradeProtectionist
RestraintForeign policyInterventionist
CosmopolitanNationNational
Dark dot: John Adams. Red mark: the Monroe Society. Ideological closeness to the Society: 81%.