who are the top 5 worst U.S. presidents in history?

Question

I am looking for more of a historically perspective, not party affiliation. Please keep your left-wing and right-wing opinions to yourself.

Answer 1

Well, let's see:

Grant has to be up there. As a general he was excellent, and I think he was a nice guy, but that was part of the problem. He was politically naive, and was taken advantage of by those around him. His administration remains one of the most corrupt in the history of the US.

Nixon is up there due to Watergate and the cover up. He was a not very nice person who was fairly ruthless, and crossed boundaries which he shouldn't have. There's also the taint of Vietnam, though he is the person who eventually extricated us from it.

Wilson is someone who I have had an increasingly low opinion of due to his actions towards the end of his term. The whole Versailles conference was botched on his part, as really his principles weren't reflected at all, except for the League of Nations charter which he then tried to shove down the Senate's throat (not saying that the charter was good or bad, but he handled that poorly). And being absent for such a long time during the conference meant that he removed himself from the political scene during a crucial period. And then there's the fact that he was incapacitated for the very end of his term, with his wife more or less running things.

Andrew Johnson's Presidency was something of a disaster. That wasn't all his fault, but still he had something of a radical reconstruction implemented on the south. That resulted in a century of animosity, racism, and segregation.

Hoover in the end has to get some of the rap for presiding over the start of the Great Depression. On the one hand, it really wasn't his fault, and towards the end of his term he was beginning to come on to some proto-New Deal policies to at least alleviate the suffering of people, but by that point it was too late. He could have, with greater insight (which is partly asking more than could be expected of anyone), prevented the Depression from being the traumatic event that it was.

In terms of ordering, I'd say (from worst up) Grant, Johnson, Wilson, Nixon, Hoover.

Runners up include Jackson (destroying the Bank of the US, planting the seeds for future corruption in government, both things which would have far reaching, negative impacts), L.B. Johnson (he turned Vietnam from a tiny affair to a major national tragedy, his social vision was never quite realized, but did help baloon the federal budget), Kennedy (he played a very close and dangerous game with the Soviets which nearly got us all blown up, plus the Bay of Pigs fiasco, and generally contributed a lot of quotes, glitz, and glamour but not a lot of substance), Carter (the whole Iran fiasco, and his attitude contributed to a general feeling of malaise, though to his credit he did begin the military buildup which Reagan used to great effect in the 80's), and Bush Jr. (to be perfectly honest, it *is* a bit early to call, but that's partly why he's a runner up and not a winner; he mishandled the Iraq situation, making some very serious mistakes, he's generally abused his powers and been pretty arrogant even though his administration generally hasn't been that effective; but again, it'll take ten years for the full implications of what he has done and is doing to be realized, for better or for worse, but so far it's not looking good).

Answer 2

George Bush Jr. George Bush Jimmy Carter Richard Nixon John Kennedy

Answer 3

Andrew Jackson
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
John F Kennedy
Richard Nixon


I expect no one to agree with me, I know history considers some of these great Presidents, but to my mind, each of these Presidents did or permitted something in office that we are still suffering with the consequences of today...

Answer 4

Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
both of the Bushes
Ronald Reagan

Answer 5

Easy:

1. Bushit' Jr.

2. Bushit' Sr.

3. Saved for future Bushit'

4. Saved for future Bushit'

5. Saved for future Bushit'

Answer 6

Here's 4 for you.

Jimmy Carter: Mired us in the worst economic setback since the great depression. Showed leadership by referring to "America's flickering light." Gave us the Misery Index. Gave us terrorism by letting "Holy man" Khomeini come to power. (Positive: None)

FDR: Prolonged the depression and began our slide into socialism. Broke Washington's tradition of only serving 2 terms.(Positive: He won WWII)

JFK: Botched the bay of pigs leading us to the brink of nuclear war. Started Vietnam. (Positives: He cut taxes, Started us toward the Moon)

Nixon: Took us off the gold standard which may have contributed to Jimmy Carter's stagflation later. (Positive: Ended Vietnam)

Answer 7

Carter definitely tops the list. Even those you might call "bad" had some bright spot, but I can't find a single thing that Carter did well. About the only positive is that he's probably the only President since JFK that wasn't accused of doing something illegal.

Answer 8

Hmm...I have to go modern, since I don't have enough direct knowledge:

1. Carter
2. G.W.
3. FDR
4. LBJ
5. Clinton

Answer 9

Carter
Clinton
Johnson
Clinton
Carter

Notice 2 Presidents were so bad, I gave them double credit.

Answer 10

Nixon, and hoover weren't very liked.