A record of the heights of the Presidents of the United States and presidential candidates is useful for evaluating what role, if any, height plays in presidential elections. Some observers have noted that the taller of the two major-party candidates tends to prevail, and argue this is due to the public's preference for taller candidates. The tallest U.S. President was Abraham Lincoln at 6 ft 4 in (193 cm), while the shortest was James Madison at 5 ft 4 in (163 cm). The average height of a US president has been 5 ft 10.7 inches and 5 ft 11.6 inches since 1901.