A Kamala Harris presidency would be historic, but not for the reasons you think.
The vice president’s late entry into the 2024 presidential race has raised the possibility that the United States will have its shortest leader in history.
At 5’6″ tall, Harris would be the shortest president since 6’5″ George Washington took office in 1789 (though Harris adamantly insists he’s around 5’4″).
Statistics suggest that the height of candidates plays a crucial role in deciding whether they are elected to be the next president.
Two-thirds of the US presidential candidates who won the popular vote were taller than their rival and the average height of US presidents is around 1.80 metres.
Statistics indicate that the height of candidates plays a crucial role in deciding whether they are elected to the office of the next president. Pictured here are prominent presidents from left to right (George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Donald Trump)
While Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris (right) is just 1.62 m tall, her rival, Donald Trump (left), towers over her at 1.90 m.
Experts have explained that our animal instincts come into play when selecting a leader, in a very similar way to what happens in the animal kingdom, where the largest males tend to lead the pack because they are more skilled at outmaneuvering their rivals.
“The argument I’ve made is that humans have that preference because in the evolutionary environment, humans who had allies who were physically formidable were more likely to be able to acquire and protect vital resources – (such as) food, shelter and mates – (which) would help them fight over resources,” Dr Gregg Murray, a professor of political science at Augusta University, told DailyMail.com.
Dr. Murray conducted a study in 2011 in which he asked 467 American and international students to draw a picture of a typical citizen and a national leader side by side.
The study found that more than half of participants drew the leader taller than the citizen.
This is reflected in most US presidential elections. In total, almost six in ten (58 percent) of the candidates who won the electoral college were taller than their opponents.
But when you look at who won the most votes overall, known as the “popular vote,” two-thirds of the winning candidates (67 percent were taller than their opponents.
For example, in the 1828 election, John Quincy Adams, who was 5’7″ (1.70 m), won the presidency, even though Andrew Jackson (6’2″ (1.85 m)) won the popular vote.
Previous presidents, such as Abraham Lincoln (6’4″), who towered over his opponent Stephen Douglas (5’4″), won both the popular and electoral vote in 1960.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1.88 m) was the only president to serve more than two terms, beating out four other candidates, only one of whom (Wendell Willkie) was half an inch taller.
James Madison, who was the fourth President of the United States, was the shortest person to win the office (he was 5’4″ (1.62 m) tall), but he is remembered not for his height but for being the “Father of the Constitution” and writing the Federalist Papers.
Meanwhile, statistics show that American presidents are growing taller, on average. Murray said this could be because taller people are more likely to run for office and people in general are growing taller.
But Gert Stulp, a researcher at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, told DailyMail.com he has three other theories as to why tall candidates perform well in the US.
Sixty-seven percent of the tallest presidential candidates won the popular vote against their shorter opponents. However, 58 percent of the candidates who won were taller, meaning that several shorter presidents had not been elected by a majority.
Abraham Lincoln (left) was the tallest president in American history, while James Madison (right) was the shortest to occupy the Oval Office.
‘Because a favorable childhood environment leads to favorable outcomes in later life (such as physical health and cognitive ability) and because favorable environments lead to greater heights, there is a (small!) correlation between height and these favorable traits.
‘Most political candidates probably had very supportive childhood environments, so I’m not sure this explanation is very helpful.
‘Two taller people, perhaps for reason 1 (favorable upbringing) or because they have been treated differently in their lives, may behave differently, for example, more confidently.
‘Three: People’s perceptions are associated with size; for example, taller individuals are perceived as better leaders, more dominant, more intelligent.
“I think this may be a better explanation for the more favourable results for the highest-ranking politicians; it is a pity, because it is independent of the quality of the individuals and is some form of discrimination.”
Murray further explained that “taller men are more likely to consider themselves qualified to be leaders and, through this greater sense of qualification, are more likely to demonstrate interest in applying for a leadership position.”
The candidates appear to take her height as a serious concern, even as Harris vehemently denied being 5’2″ and demanded that she be recognized for the extra two inches.
In a interview with Katie Couric who asked Harris If she is only 1.57 m tall, the presidential candidate replied: “That is absolutely incorrect. I am 1.60 m tall and a quarter, sometimes 1.60 m tall.”
‘And with heels, which I always wear, I’m 1.70m tall, thank you very much.
Although her Wikipedia pages do not mention her height, a page about her in the Encyclopedia Britannica lists her as 5 feet 2 inches tall.
Some politicians have made efforts to put lifts in their shoes or wear heels to overcome the height gap, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who dropped out of the presidential race in January.
DeSantis has been criticized for wearing high heels and boots, and while the governor has strongly denied the allegations, a custom boot maker said there was no doubt.
Zephan Parker, owner of Parker Boot Company, said: Political that DeSantis likely wore lifts and explained that when an insole is inserted into cowboy boots, it could “turn them into (the equivalent of) five-inch stilettos.”
While politicians worry about his height, Dr. Murray said his election as president could also depend on the economic climate during an election year, and said times of great unrest or war could lead Americans to rely on taller politicians to lead the country.
“In particular, there appears to be a preference for male leaders when there is an external threat – (when) physical formidability is needed – and for female leaders when there is a need for greater group cohesion and effort – (when) physical formidability does not matter,” he said.
‘In relation to the Trump vs. Harris case, the role of formidable physical ability could depend on how the campaign is framed.
‘Does the international threat (wars and other international conflicts prevail as a framework, benefiting Trump according to this theory) or should we all unite, benefiting Harris?’
