Portrait of Abraham Lincoln
From history

Abraham Lincoln

US President, 1861 to 1865

Led the Union through the American Civil War, issued the Emancipation Proclamation and backed the constitutional amendment abolishing slavery. He also suspended habeas corpus, a decision historians still debate.

Abraham Lincoln sits in the right-authoritarian part of the Caucus economy and liberty compass: slightly free market and slightly authoritarian. The clearest positions are strongly tech-optimist on technology, leaning growth-first on environment and leaning strength-first on war and peace.

Read more about Abraham Lincoln on Wikipedia →

Where Abraham Lincoln sits on eight dimensions

Each scale runs from one pole to the other, and the dot shows the overall tendency of this leader's record and public life. These are simplified estimates and open to debate.

💰EconomySlightly free market
State-ledFree market
⚖️Liberty and authoritySlightly authoritarian
LibertarianAuthoritarian
🎭CultureSlightly progressive
ProgressiveTraditional
🌍NationLeaning nationalist
GlobalistNationalist
🌱EnvironmentLeaning growth-first
Growth-firstNature-first
🤖TechnologyStrongly tech-optimist
Tech-cautiousTech-optimist
🕊️War and peaceLeaning strength-first
Peace-firstStrength-first
🏛️InstitutionsLeaning institutional
Anti-establishmentInstitutional

Leaders most like Abraham Lincoln

John F. Kennedy US President, 1961 to 196381%Benazir Bhutto Prime Minister of Pakistan, 1988 to 1990 and 1993 to 199678%Yitzhak Rabin Prime Minister of Israel, 1974 to 1977 and 1992 to 199576%Sun Yat-sen Founding leader of the Republic of China, 191275%Harry S. Truman US President, 1945 to 195375%Akbar Mughal Emperor, 1556 to 160574%

Leaders furthest from Abraham Lincoln

Mahatma Gandhi Leader of the Indian independence movement12%José Mujica President of Uruguay, 2010 to 201527%Gustavo Petro President of Colombia, 2022 to 202629%

Political views closest to Abraham Lincoln

Economic nationalismUses tariffs, subsidies and industrial policy to protect and grow domestic industry.72%State capitalismUses a strong state to steer a market economy toward rapid growth, often limiting…70%Hawkish realismSees the world as a contest between states, where military strength and alliances secure…70%

Percentages show how close two profiles are across all eight dimensions. Including a person here is for historical study and comparison, not approval. Portrait: Alexander Gardner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; see all photo credits.