We covered the most successful presidents, so it seems only fair to rank 15 least successful presidents of all time as well.
For the most part, the people on this list set out to achieve great deeds and leave their mark in history. Some of them were curtailed by their political opposition, some with their own greed, but mostly, the world events simply ran them over and exposed their inability to cope with them. It is no wonder that three out of top four least successful presidents of all time were in the White House immediately before or after the Civil War, the most turbulent times in United States history. It would be interesting to see how would some of the most successful presidents of all time react if they were in Buchanan’s shoes or how would Lincoln resolve the postbellum crisis and deal with the Reconstruction. The fact remains that these 15 men are responsible for some of the worst presidential mistakes in US history.
We used the same method for ranking the least successful presidents as we did for the most successful ones. By combining two polls, one done by the Siena Research Institute and the other done by the Brookings Institution, we created a list that, we feel, fairly judges all of the 43 presidents. We decided against using popular polls, as we feel they are highly subjective and fail to judge the presidents on their achievements while in the White House. Let’s see who had the misfortune of being on the list of 15 least successful presidents of all time.
15. Jimmy Carter
SRI Ranking: 32
Brookings Ranking: 28
Jimmy Carter started his presidency by issuing a pardon to all Vietnam War draft dodgers. This didn’t earn him many points with the general public in turbulent 1970s. The events that unfolded by the end of the decade only pushed his approval numbers lower. Although, to be honest, Iran hostage crises, energy crisis, and finally the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan would seriously challenge even the most capable of world’s statesmen. Historians, in general, agree that Carter achieved much more during his post-presidential years than during his tenure in the White House.
14. Rutherford B. Hayes
SRI Ranking: 31
Brookings Ranking: 30
Rutherford B. Hayes became the 19th President of the United States after controversial elections in which he lost the popular vote but won the Electoral College after Congressional commission ruling. In order to have Democrats agree with the ruling, Hayes had to withdraw army units from southern states and end Reconstruction, despite his beliefs. He spent his term in a constant struggle with the Democrat-dominated Congress and apart from some civil service reforms, he didn’t manage to accomplish much.
13. James Garfield
SRI Ranking: 27
Brookings Ranking: 31
The inclusion of James Garfield on this list is mostly due to his very short presidency. He was shot two times by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2nd, less than 4 months after taking the office. Although he died 11 weeks later, his presidency effectively ended on that July morning. The general consensus is that his presidency started promisingly, but Guiteau stopped him from making a deeper mark in history.
12. Benjamin Harrison
SRI Ranking: 34
Brookings Ranking: 29
One thing even Benjamin Harrison’s opponent grudgingly admitted was his integrity, both personal and official. He was a man of principles, best illustrated by his struggle for the rights of African-American voters. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to keep him off this list.
11. Richard Nixon
SRI Ranking: 30
Brookings Ranking: 34
To this day, Richard Nixon, the next one in our list of least successful presidents of all time, remains one of the most controversial presidents in history. His legacy was perhaps best described by James MacGregor Burns’ remark: ”How can one evaluate such an idiosyncratic president, so brilliant and so morally lacking?” Nixon accomplished much during his presidency, in both domestic and foreign policy, but at the end, he is most remembered by Watergate, the scandal that was ultimately his undoing.
10. Zachary Taylor
SRI Ranking: 33
Brookings Ranking: 33
The combination of a short-term (died 16 months into his presidency) and political inexperience prevented Zachary Taylor, the number 10 in our list of least successful presidents of all time, from achieving much as the 12th President of the United States. He jumped straight from army boots to politician’s shoes and lacked deep knowledge of Washington politics and major players. Clayton–Bulwer Treaty remains one of rare President Taylor’s achievements.
9. John Tyler
SRI Ranking: 37
Brookings Ranking: 36
Not much good can be said about John Tyler’s presidency. To be honest, he didn’t intend to be the presidency and only became one after the death of William Henry Harrison. Once he was sworn into office, he insisted that he has the right to use the full powers at his disposal and not just be a caretaker until the next elections. Most historians agree that, although he was legally well within his rights to do so, perhaps the country would be better served if he chose to remain a caretaker.
8. George W. Bush
SRI Ranking: 39
Brookings Ranking: 35
George W. Bush is the latest president on our list of 15 least successful presidents of all time. His legacy is highly contested one, and the general impression is that a greater time distance is needed to fully judge his presidency. His critics found major faults with his tax cuts, handling of the Iraqi War, the Katrina disaster, and the 2008 Financial Crisis. With all this in mind, it seems highly unlikely that his place on this list will improve much, regardless of how much time has passed. Still, he will go down in history as one of the most influential presidents, as his actions in the White House have determined the course of the United States foreign policy for decades to come.
7. Herbert Hoover
SRI Ranking: 36
Brookings Ranking: 38
Herbert Hoover’s presidency was off to a promising start. He supported international trade and ensured that businesses have a proper governmental support, a continuation of his work as Secretary of Commerce. However, just eight months after he became president, Black Tuesday happened, and Wall Street market crashed, marking the beginning of the Great Depression. All of his ambitious plans had to be put to a halt, and his efforts were redirected to trying to pull the country out of the greatest economic turmoil in its history. Unfortunately, his actions didn’t produce the expected results, leading to Franklin Roosevelt wiping the floor with him in the 1932 elections and ushering the country into the New Deal era.
6. William Henry Harrison
SRI Ranking: 35
Brookings Ranking: 39
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States. He is also the president with the shortest term in history. He assumed office on March 4th and died of pneumonia on April 4th, 1841. Although it doesn’t seem fair to judge him on his actions as the president since he spent 32 days being one, he had to be ranked somewhere, and he ended up on the 6th spot of our list of least successful presidents in history.
5. Millard Fillmore
SRI Ranking: 38
Brookings Ranking: 37
Millard Fillmore ranks 5th in our list of least successful presidents of all time. He marked the end of an era in the United States in several ways. He was the last Whig president and also the last president who wasn’t a member of either Republican or Democratic Party. Although he did have some noted successes in foreign policy and avoided the war with Great Britain in a very perilous time for the United States, his inability to secure stable relations with the southern states ultimately marred his presidency. In fact, many historians agree that he only made things worse between abolitionists and slaveholders and paved the way for the Civil War.
4. Franklin Pierce
SRI Ranking: 40
Brookings Ranking: 40
Franklin Pierce ranks 4th in our list of least successful presidents of all time. His presidency saw the passing of the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which was considered as one of the major stepping stones leading to the disastrous Civil War just a few years later. His inability to reconcile slave owners and abolitionists only further divided already disunited country, leading to high political tensions that culminated in armed conflict between North and South. According to his contemporaries, he was an honest man, but simply lack the skill to weather the crisis that has befallen the nation during his time.
3. Warren Harding
SRI Ranking: 41
Brookings Ranking: 42
We are continuing our list of least successful presidents of all time with Warren Harding, who was a very popular president during his tenure at the White House. Appointments of Andrew Mellon, Herbert Hoover, and Charles Evans Hughes ensured that he had highly competent aides during his presidency. Unfortunately, he also had Albert Fall and Harry Daugherty, forming what was later called Ohio Gang. The scandals surrounding Harding didn’t surface until after his death in office in 1923, ensuring high praises by the mourning nation. Once they did (financial, political and extramarital), his place as one of the worst presidents in history was cemented.
2. Andrew Johnson
SRI Ranking: 43
Brookings Ranking: 41
If a single word is needed to describe Andrew Johnson, who ranks second in our list of least successful presidents of all time, it would be stubborn. Once he made his mind on something, there’s little to no chance of changing his course, despite the opposition. As one could imagine, this isn’t a very favorable trait for any politician, even less so for the President of the United States. Johnson became president after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. One of his first tasks was to oversee the cessation of hostilities and the return of Southern states into the Union. However, his inability to compromise has set him on a collision course with the Congress, despite the fact that his party had the majority. The Reconstruction went as it did, ensuring President Johnson place among the worst presidents in history.
1. James Buchanan
SRI Ranking: 42
Brookings Ranking: 43
The top spot among 15 least successful presidents of all time goes to James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States. His presidency marked the eve of the American Civil War and his inability to reach a compromise between pro and anti-slavery supporters firmly put the United States on the road to war. The question remains if such compromise was even possible, considering the attitudes of all key players. The fact that his party has splintered into two factions, allowing Republicans to control the House of Representatives, effectively curtailing most of Buchanan initiatives. In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected president and almost immediately seven states declared secession. Buchanan failed to respond decisively and the first chapters of American greatest tragedy started to unfold.
