The National Constitution Center, located in Philadelphia, held a special polling contest this March they dubbed “Presidential Madness,” a play off of the March Madness tournament.
Rather than basketball players competing, however, 39 presidential cabinet members, both historical and modern, went head-to-head in brackets to determine the “Best Presidential Cabinet Member of All Time.”
About “Presidential Madness” from the National Constitution Center blog:
Here at Constitution Daily, madness in March doesn’t just apply to the NCAA—it’s also an excuse to give the bracket treatment to the executive branch of government. That’s right, it’s time for Presidential Madness.
This March, help us pick the best presidential Cabinet of all time—the top public servants who have guided the leader of the free world for more than 225 years, from George Washington to Barack Obama, courtesy of the system set up by Article II of the U.S. Constitution.
Round 1:
For the original bracket of “Favorite Secretary Treasury of All Time“, Alexander Hamilton first went up against Albert Gallatin, Andrew Mellon, Henry Morenthau, and Robert Rubin. Hamilton won the bracket with 71% of the votes to go on to the next round.
Round 2:
In the second round, Alexander Hamilton faced off against Robert F. Kennedy, who had won the bracket for “Favorite Attorney General of All Time.” In this round for “Top Presidential Advisor“, Hamilton won again; this time, with 75% of the votes.
Semi-Finals:
During the semi-finals, Alexander Hamilton was pitted against Thomas Jefferson, a fellow member of George Washington’s first cabinet. Once again, Alexander Hamilton emerged victorious. [poll percentages not released by the Constitution Center]
Finals:
In the finals of “Presidential Madness”, Alexander Hamilton won against John Adams, who served as Vice-President under George Washington. With 85% of the public voting for Alexander Hamilton and 15% voting for John Adams, it was a clear victory for who received the title of “Best Cabinet Member of All Time.”
From the Constitution Center’s blog, Constitution Daily:
Constitution Daily readers have spoken: Alexander Hamilton is their favorite Cabinet member of all time…
Hamilton won in the finals of our annual Presidential Madness contest, besting former vice president John Adams in a battle of George Washington’ key Cabinet members.
Hamilton, the nation’s first treasury secretary, and Adams, its first vice president, were picked after 10 days of voting that selected the following “dream team” Cabinet:
Vice president (historical): John Adams
Vice president (modern): Al Gore
Secretary of state (historical): Thomas Jefferson
Secretary of state (modern): Hillary Clinton
Secretary of war (historical): Henry Stimson
Secretary of defense (modern): Caspar Weinberger
Attorney general: Robert Kennedy
Secretary of the treasury: Alexander Hamilton
For members of the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society, it’s very exciting that so many people are properly recognizing Alexander Hamilton for his extremely influential role as a cabinet member. Thank you to all those who voted to name Alexander Hamilton as the “Best Cabinet Member of All Time”!
