Editing Thomas Jefferson (section)

===Historical reputation===
{{main|Historical reputation of Thomas Jefferson}}

Jefferson is seen as an icon of individual liberty, democracy, and [[republicanism]], hailed as the author of the Declaration of Independence, an architect of the American Revolution, and a [[Polymath#Renaissance man|renaissance man]] who promoted science and scholarship.<ref>[[#Peterson60|Peterson, 1960]], pp. 5, 67–69, 189–208, 340.</ref> The participatory democracy and expanded suffrage he championed defined his era and became a standard for later generations.<ref>[[#Appleby|Appleby, 2003]], p. 149.</ref> [[Jon Meacham]] opined that Jefferson was the most influential figure of the democratic republic in its first half-century, succeeded by presidential adherents [[James Madison]], [[James Monroe]], [[Andrew Jackson]], and [[Martin Van Buren]].<ref>[[#Meacham|Meacham, 2012]], p. xix.</ref> A [[Siena Research Institute]] poll of presidential scholars, which began in 1982, has consistently ranked Jefferson as one of the five best U.S. presidents,<ref>[[#Siena|SRI, 2010]].</ref> and a 2015 [[Brookings Institution]] poll of [[American Political Science Association]] members ranked him as the fifth-greatest president.<ref>[[#Brookings|Brookings, 2015]]</ref>