It's too soon to judge the current one, but for past presidents, the verdict is in. U.S. News has averaged the results of five polls to make a slideshow of the worst chief executives. The years before the Civil War produced an era of failure: Six of seven presidents who served from 1841 to 1861 made the list.

Introduction: Is there a scholarly consensus on who America's worst chief executives are?

A Look at the Polls: How did U.S. News determine its list of the 10 worst presidents?

An Update: Historians rank George W. Bush among the worst presidents.

Featured Video: Executive Editor Brian Kelly interviews Jay Tolson, U.S. News historian and author of the worst president series.

Find Out Who Made the List