What Makes a Great President: President's Day Lessons from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln February 16, 2009

Hosted by: Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs at Ashland University

This month, the United States will inaugurate a new president. Like every president, Barack Obama comes to office amid high expectations and with his own set of goals and hopes for the country. Some presidents live up to those hopes and expectations; some disappoint. And some surprise us with their greatness.

So what makes a president great? On President's Day, it seems right that we should look for insight to two of America's greatest, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. They were great because they weren't just leaders—they were statesmen. But what is a statesman, and how can a president be one?

Join Jeffrey Sikkenga, Associate Professor of Political Science at Ashland University and Adjunct Fellow of the Ashbrook Center, for a lively discussion of this question, which is one of the most important facing our country.

Official Website: http://www.ashbrook.org/events/thevillages2009.html