Abstract

This study examines the relationship between educational attainment and U.S. presidential job performance. Theoretically, greater educational attainment is linked to, among other qualities, higher intelligence, stronger communication skills, and more developed cognitive abilities, all of which are also associated with effective political leadership. The same assumption can be made in reverse, with political leaders generally being considered to be more intelligent than the mass public. Therefore, one could speculate that American presidents who have more advanced educational backgrounds and/or have worked in occupations related to education could govern more competently than those from other environments. A survey administered through Qualtrics was sent to political science scholars and used to collect data on presidential performance. The results of the study showed that educational attainment’s effects on job performance depend on the time period. While there is no observed correlation between a president’s performance and the quality of schooling they received, correlation between performance and work in an education-related field is fairly substantial.

Advisor

Wrobel, Megan

Department

Political Science

Disciplines

American Politics | Education | Leadership Studies | Public Administration

Keywords

Educational attainment, presidential performance, survey methodology

Publication Date

2023

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

Download

Share

COinS
 

© Copyright 2023 Andrew Seifert