Psychology Today Originally Posted: Feb. 16, 2020 George Washington won his two terms in office as president with the unanimous consent of the Electoral College. In fact, he ran unopposed. What made him so popular? Although Washington was the commander in chief of the Continental Army, he wasn’t the best general in the Continental army. And while not a dullard, many of his contemporaries were far smarter than he. And although he was the president of the Constitutional Convention, he was far from the best politician. Washington’s popularity rested elsewhere. Some context helps understand Washington’s great appeal. The country had won its independence from Great Britain and no one wanted to return to a regime of tyranny. So the original conglomeration of states formed the [...]

PBS News Originally Posted: Nov. 19, 2019 Presidential historian Jeffrey Engel was quoted in this article. Days into public impeachment hearings, nearly half of Americans want Congress to impeach President Donald Trump and remove him from office, according to a new poll from the PBS NewsHour, NPR and Marist. The latest data does not show a significant change in public attitudes since the hearings began last Wednesday. But this next round of testimony could give Democrats more chances to sway public opinion — unless Americans stick to already rigid partisan lines. Among U.S. adults, 45 percent said they support the impeachment and the ouster of Trump from office, with 82 percent of Democrats, 39 percent of politically independent voters and 7 percent of Republicans approving such [...]