Well, "truth" is not a word I associate with IQ scores, even test-based
ones, much less guesswork-based numbers as these seem to be.
The idea that they are accurate within 5 points sounds more like a
deliberate hoax than just bad science.
Indeed the scores given also suggest a hoax to me. I am old enough to date
from the days when IQ scores were part of a person's semi-private persona,
and I know those of a number of bright people. I also know the range of
scores of the people who make up these tests, which in my mind sets an
upper limit on what they can possibly know about how to index intelligence.
(I don't really even believe in the concept of "intelligence", but that's
too far afield from "is it true?" .... )
In any case there is no way ANY of these guys is likely to be over 160, and
I'd bet on more like 130s and 140s for the best of them.
As to how low GWB2 is, I don't think it's necessary to put him below 100.
IQ tests don't measure either common sense or wisdom. His social class
background and education alone ought to get him up to 110. The tests are
pretty good at measuring those, at least in adults. He probably gets a few
points for being White, too. :)
In any case, it's unlikely he's making any independent decisions, so does
it really matter? The people on the Supreme Court who voted for him must be
feeling smugly superior ... and I hope at least a little bit worried.
JAY.
At 07:10 PM 2/22/2003 -0800, you wrote:
>Talk about intelligence testing.......
>
>
>i wonder if this is true. if so ....
>
>WHY ARE WE NOT SURPRISED????
>Presidential Iqs - As if we didn't already know...
>
>President Bush Ranks Lowest IQ in 50 Years of US Presidents
>
>In a report published Monday, the Lovenstein Institute of Scranton,
>Pennsylvania, detailed its findings of a four-month study of the
>intelligence quotient of President George W. Bush. Since 1973, the
>Lovenstein Institute has published its research to the educational
>community on each new president, which includes the famous "IQ" report
>among others.
>
>There have been twelve presidents over the past 50 years, from F.D.
>Roosevelt to G.W. Bush, who were rated based on scholarly achievements,
>writings that they produced without aid of staff, their ability to speak
>with clarity, and several other psychological factors, which were then
>scored using the Swanson/Crain system of intelligence ranking.
>
>The study determined the following IQs of each president as accurate to
>within five percentage points:
>
>147 .. Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
>132 .. Harry Truman (D)
>122 .. Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)
>174 .. John F. Kennedy (D)
>126 .. Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
>155.. Richard M. Nixon (R)
>121 .. Gerald Ford (R)
>175 .. James E. Carter (D)
>105 .. Ronald Reagan (R)
>098 .. George Bush (R)
>182 .. William J. Clinton (D)
>091 .. George W. Bush (R)
>
>In IQ order:
>
>182 .. William J. Clinton (D)
>175 .. James E. Carter (D)
>174 .. John F. Kennedy (D)
>155 .. Richard M. Nixon (R)
>147 .. Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
>132 .. Harry Truman (D)
>126 .. Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
>122 .. Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)
>121 .. Gerald Ford (R)
>105 .. Ronald Reagan (R)
>098 ..George Bush (R)
>091 .. George W. Bush (R)
>
>The six Republican presidents of the past 50 years had an average IQ of
>115.5, with President Nixon having the highest at 155. President G.W.
>Bush rated the lowest of all the Republicans with an IQ of 91. The six
>Democrat presidents had IQs with an average of 156, with President
>Clinton having the highest IQ, at 182. President Lyndon B. Johnson was
>rated the lowest of all the Democrats with an IQ of 126. No president other
>than Carter (D) has released his actual IQ, 176.
>
>Among comments made concerning the specific testing of President GW Bush,
>his low ratings are due to his apparently difficult command of the
>English language in public statements, his limited use of vocabulary
>(6,500 words for Bush versus an average of 11,000 words for other
>presidents), his lack of scholarly achievements other than a basic MBA,
>and an absence of any body of work which could be studied on an
>intellectual basis.
>
>The complete report documents the methods and procedures used to arrive at
>these ratings, including depth of sentence structure and voice stress
>confidence analysis. "All the Presidents prior to George W. Bush had a
>least one book under their belt, and most had written several white papers
>during their education or early careers. Not so with President Bush," Dr.
>Lovenstein said. "He has no published works or writings, which made it more
>difficult to arrive at an assessment. We relied more heavily on
>transcripts of his unscripted public speaking."
>
>The Lovenstein Institute of Scranton Pennsylvania think tank includes high
>caliber historians, psychiatrists, sociologists, scientists in human
>behavior, and psychologists. Among their ranks are Dr. Werner R.
>Lovenstein, world-renowned sociologist, and Professor Patricia F.
>Dilliams, a world-respected psychiatrist.
>
>This study was commissioned on February 13, 2001 and released on July 9,
>2001 to subscribing member universities and organizations within the
>educational community.
Jay Lemke
Professor
University of Michigan
School of Education
610 East University
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Tel. 734-763-9276
Email. JayLemke@UMich.edu
Website. www.umich.edu/~jaylemke
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