Study suggests George W. Bush was a better speaker than President Obama

Study suggests George W. Bush was a better speaker than President Obama
(Image credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

A new report from Vocativ shows that the intelligence level of presidential speeches is on a steady decline — and that includes speeches by George W. Bush and President Obama.

Vocativ analyzed more than 600 presidential speeches, from George Washington to President Obama. The researchers used the Flesch-Kincaid readability test, an algorithm that calculates reading comprehension by measuring syllables as well as word and sentence counts. The algorithm assigned each speech a numerical grade from one to 21, based on these three criteria. A grade of four, for example, would mean that the speech could be understood by a fourth-grader, a grade of 12 would make a speech appropriate for high school graduates, and a 21-level speech would be suitable for someone with a PhD.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.