One of the Founding Fathers, Monroe presided over a period of America’s history which saw an emphasis on domestic issues. Despite his “low” IQ on our list, political scientist Fred Greenstein argued Monroe was a more effective President than some of his predecessors, such as John Adams.
During his presidency, Monroe resolved a lot of tension, supporting the Missouri Compromise and banding together the nation. In 1820, Monroe secured a nigh landslide victory over New-Yorker Rufus King, with a vote of 183:34. Clearly a house favourite! Wait, a President who actually activated for change for the good of the people? Definitely beats any IQ ranking. We salute you!
1. Ulysses S. Grant (No. 18) - IQ 130
Now, before we’re so quick to judge, remember that the average IQ lies between 85 and 115, so possessing an IQ of 130 is not too low. A shoddily covered-up Whiskey Ring incident saw his crack team of officials attempt to keep tax revenue to themselves and bribe officials, which makes us think maybe he wasn’t the best judge of character, despite his above average IQ.
But this guy was also the 18th President of the United States of America, and a commander of the Union army during the American Civil War! We’ll let you decide if the theoretically least intelligent of the bunch truly belongs here.
3. Warren G. Harding (No. 29) - IQ 139.9
As we segue from the 130s to the 140s, we finish on a household name. Warren Harding died one of the most popular presidents in history, after a fatal heart attack cut his time short. Posthumously, scandals such as ‘The Teapot Dome’ however, damaged his glowing reputation. The scandal gave private oil companies lucrative rights to extract oil and gas from federal land in Wyoming, organised by Harding’s interior secretary Albert Fall. Money was funnelled through the White House and yep, you can guess who enjoyed the spoils. For this, he is now considered one of the most unintelligent men to have held power.
During his time in office, Harding watched over a White House riddled with drama and controversy, though, none of it was ever traced back to him. Harding believed in an America where the economy was king, and the rich became richer. Whilst he boosted the economy and reduced public debt, his legacy was not solid enough to weather the Teapot Dome Scandal as well as the other goings-on in the Oval office. Thank u, next.
4. George W. Bush (No. 43) - IQ 138.5
It seems that the “dumbest President ever” label has been stolen by Mr Trump, so while he isn’t the best thing to happen to the U.S, he certainly is a blessing in disguise for Mr Bush. Over the years, Bush earned a reputation for being one of the worst Presidents ever, what with his lack lustre public speaking skills. Though, he was quite the wordsmith, inventing words and fabricating sayings which, when one stopped to ponder, didn’t make any sense at all.
During high school, he may not have had outstanding grades, but he was wonderful at socializing, including a stint as head cheerleader. Maybe you don’t want to think about George W Bush with pom-poms, but we’re sure you’ve already got a mental image. Cannot. Be. Unseen. Remember folks, we’re only just getting started here; so things can only get better, right? Right??
5. Andrew Johnson (No. 17) - IQ 138.9
After a baptism by fire entrance into the public eye, Johnson, former vice president under Abraham Lincoln, moved into the White House. While Johnson supported the Union, he was not so supportive of giving freed slaves the right to vote, nor any Reconstruction efforts for that matter. He was the first President to be impeached after his permission to implement “black codes”, which essentially oppressed newly freed slaves. He purposely vetoed legislation which was designed to protect these people.
For someone with an IQ which is still relatively high, his thinking was still extremely backward and racist. Whilst the House made Johnson sweat a little following a long trial, they were unsuccessful in removing him from office. His time in office lasted from 1865-1869, which spelt disillusionment and dissatisfaction for the people. Fortunately, following his term in office, the American people had the sense to elect smarter men to create a better future for all.