Worst Presidents: Introduction
Interpreting the results, Schlesinger concluded that what weighed most heavily in determining the best presidents was whether they "took the side of progressivism and reform, as understood in their day." Though Schlesinger did not say so, the quality that characterized most of the failed presidencies, reflected in the choice of so many ineffectual pre-Civil War presidents and Hoover, was passivity or inaction in the face of great historical challenges (or, in the cases of Grant and Harding, in the face of corruptionand ineptitude inside their own administrations). The value placed on executive energy could be said to reflect a liberal bias, but it also reveals the influence of a less strictly partisan ideal of the presidency as a strong, activist branch of government. "If there is a common denominator in presidential assessments," argues Princeton's Greenstein, "it is a bias toward activism, unless the activism is viewed as misplaced, as in the instances of Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam and Nixon and Watergate."
To test whether that or any other generalizations about presidential performances, particularly failed performances, hold up, U.S. News averaged the results of five major and relatively recent presidential polls to make its own gallery of the 10 worst presidents—actually 11, because of a tie at ninth place.
Reader Comments
Obama worst???
Wow. Already someone wants to make such an ignorant statement as, "Obama has never seen a white baby he didn't wish died in the womb. In fact, if they survive abortion, he is all for stabbing them in the head to finish them off." I truly pity your absolute ignorance. And NO ONE who won an American election could ever make me wish for W. Bush to return to office.
You may want to check your facts before you say Obama has had ANY influence on inflation. Do you have any idea how much Iraq and Afghanistan cost??? Obama is trying to dig us out of the hole that was already there when he was sworn in.
What votes did he cast that make him a baby killer?? You sound like a real wacko when you make such a statement.
Remember, "Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, period." Then a few months later, "we never said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction." Oops.
Obama is on the way!!!
Bush may bge judged lousy, but after a little more of Obama, we'll all be begging for W to come back.
Obama threw 1 trillion away and devalued our currency so far I can use it for toilet paper.
He has done nothing about the communist takeover of south america (because Chavez is his buddy).
His cap and trade will likely destroy whats left of our industrial base. His socialization of medicine will lead us into oblivion.
Obama has never seen a white baby he didn't wish died in the womb. In fact, if they survive abortion, he is all for stabbing them in the head to finish them off. Just look at his votes in the Illinois Senate.
Did I metion he is a Chicago machine crook?
Your list of 11 presidents (and Bush) are all Saints compared to the new clown in the White House. Obama, the worst American president in history.
Bush 43
I think it is irresponsible for historians to rank Bush so quickly. They of all people should understand that just because his presidency is over, that his legacy is likely to change as we go forward and take on new things. We'll likely need to wait another 5-10 years to make a responsible judgment on the Bush Administrations policies, especially foreign.
I think he'll end up being a fairly mediocre President.
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