The Worst President Before 1877: Looking At Our Nation's History

In his article “Why FDR was America’s Worst President,” Andrew Doris explains why Franklin Roosevelt was America’s worst president and why America would be better off today if he were to have never been elected. According to Doris, Roosevelt not only failed in ending the Great Depression, but when he introduced his New Deal policies, he also introduced the idea that the president could overstep the boundaries set for him in the constitution. During his presidency, Roosevelt failed to “faithfully execute the rulings of the other branches” and “respect the system of checks and balances” (Doris). Doris proves these statements throughout his article. He states that when Roosevelt came into office, he was hungry for more power than the constitution

Because of the plague known as the Great Depression, Herbert Hoover is often seen as one of the worst presidents in American history. He enacted policies such as the Hawley-Smoot Tariff that flushed America deeper into the depression. Hoover didn't understand that to solve a crisis such as a depression, he needed to interact directly with the people by using programs such as social security and welfare. Instead, Hoover had the idea that if he were to let the depression run its course, it would eventually end. There are three things that can be used to define Hoover's presidency during the depression, his actions, his mentality toward fixing things, and the fact that he helped pave the way for the “New Deal”

Imagine being forced out of your homes with thousands of other people by ruthless soldiers that threaten you at bayonet point to leave your beloved household with nothing but the clothes on your back. The soldiers lead you and many others thousands of miles into unknown territory where they force you to stay. You hear some people have rebelled… and were killed. This is what President Andrew Jackson did to many Native American tribes approximately 150 years ago. There were many Presidents in the history of the United States, both good and bad, but few have achieved the great infamy of Andrew Jackson, for he was known as ¨Indian Killer¨ and ¨Sharp Knife¨. Although he can be considered a great president, he has committed many treacherous acts. Jackson was one of the worst presidents of The United States because he mur the Native Americans, he had a unquenchable temper that killed many people in duels, and he caused inflation with the nation’s money.

James Buchanan was the fifteenth president of the United States and debateably the worst. Buchanan was said to have seemingly proficient ideas with poor results; although he was reportedly an intelligent and kind-hearted man, his actions in office were those of an un-educated kook.

The president exerts every type of leadership imaginable. The presidency, which was created with a great amount of power for our use needs to be in the right hands. The president can only lead us in the direction that we are acclimated to travel. He can’t order congress to disobey their duties, he can’t lead our civil servants to be fraudulent, and lastly, he cannot lead our people and public into something they are unprepared

The interpretation of what a leader is, how they act and what they do appears to be straightforward. Do great things for the good of others and they will bow down to call you a great leader. Many postulate that a leader is someone who achieves things by following the rules and aspires to make the world a better place. They look down upon the person that does what they personally desire and argue that it’s a selfish act; however what happens when the rules are put aside, and what is expected of a leader is ruled out? In retrospect, to say that Abraham Lincoln deserves to be thought of as the “Great Emancipator”, the word “great” has to be evaluated. Due to his various attempts in ending the war, not only did he aspire to save the union by waiting

When evaluating the leadership style of James A. Garfield, one should not only consider his time as the President of United States

Some may believe that John Adams’ presidency was a successful one, but in reality, his solutions to the problems that America was facing did not do much to solve the actual problems at hand. For instance, during the Quasi War with France, his solution was to go to war, which would only lead to an unnecessary loss of life on both sides, when there were various other, more practical ways of going about this issue. After the XYZ Affair, he made a number of questionable decisions regarding their treatment of Republicans and their supporters—namely, signing the Alien Act and the Sedition Act. Throughout his time as president, the Republican view of him worsened as time went on. The quote, “A political leader in a democratic society must not only face the great issues that confront the country, but he must also see to it that the people are behind him,” does not accurately represent the presidency of John Adams, which is seen through the actions he made and the reactions he had during the Quasi War, the acts he signed after this war, and the Republican view of him during this time period.

The first 15 presidents of the United States were essential in building up such a new nation, though not all contributed to it’s prospering. Making successful judgements about the Antebellum presidents’ effectiveness and overall legacy in office required specific criteria. Analyzing their roles in forming a more perfect union, their accomplishments, and economic management while in office could carve out the best president during this time. Those who asserted peace, freedom, and unity among the nation, ultimately made significant contributions to their name or the state of the country, and established or motivated the economy while in office were considered successful and a valuable president that could possibly earn the title of best. I feel

The United States since its adoption of the Constitution in 1787 has accumulated total amount forty-five presidents over two-hundred and thirty years. These forty-five presidents as history and the United States continues, will be the subject of analysts throughout history, who will try to rank them from the best to the worst. The book written by James Taranto and Leonard Leo, ‘Presidential Leadership: Rating the Best and the Worst in the White House’ is one of these analytical books shoving the presidents into a ranking by using a survey of professors of history, law and political science to rate them. This book by Leo and Taranto focus on a handful of prime objectives for the readers to overserve while reading the book. The first is to

A leader works with their team and communicate. A leader is strong and courageous. They work with their employers or followers. They set goals and have visions and missions. They are ambitious and not bullheaded just because they are in charge. I think Harriet Tubman was a good leader because she was strong and she knew what she wanted. Even though she was illiterate for the most part of her life, she never let that stop her. She freed herself and freed 300 other slaves along with her, created the Underground Railroad, and was the first recorded African- American to serve in the military. I mean we can’t even even wrap our heads around what she went through. We complain about the smallest things when she had narcolepsy and complained not once. I mean she had no education and a chronic sleep disorder and freed 300 people. We have an education with no type of disorder, so we seriously have no right to complain about

Have you ever heard the phrase “a team is only as good as its weakest player”? This idea is opposite for a nation, however. A country is only as good as its strongest leader. Not every president that runs and is elected into office is going to be the best there 's ever been, and it’s true we’ve had some pretty terrible presidents. But those weaker presidents didn’t leave a lasting impression on our country. Only those presidents that were strong and stood for or against something are remembered and studied. This doesn’t just apply to presidents, but to any great men. As great men or women come into our society and make a difference we all grow as a nation and every nation is different depending on its

House of Representatives, where he served five consecutive terms, from 1821 to 1831. Andrew Jackson named Buchanan his ambassador to Russia. In 1834 Buchanan came back to the U.S. and won a seat in Senate as a Democrat, a place he would hold for the following 10 years, until, in 1845, he resigned to serve as James K. Polk's secretary of state, a foothold he used to further an expansionist agenda. In 1852, he created an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, losing to Franklin Pierce, who, once being elected president, made James Buchanan his minister to England. He served as president throughout the build-up to the warfare, Buchanan's inability to prevent the southern states' push toward secession has led most historians to contemplate his presidency as a failure.

A good leader will simply just get the job done. A great leader will go beyond the expectations and set the standards for their successors. George Washington placed a high caliber for the title of president of the United States of America. In George Washington, The American Presidents Series: The 1st President, 1789-1797, James McGregor Burns and Susan Dunn explain Washington’s presidency, what he enforced, and what he had to deal with being the first president of a young nation. Having no predecessor, Washington had no one to look up to for the guidelines and had to set up the government from what he thought would work for the new nation. He would be the one establishing the ideals for a president. Burns and Dunn mediocrely exemplify Washington’s

James MacGregor Burns said it best, “Leadership is leaders inducing followers to act for certain goals that represent the values and the motivations-the wants and needs, the aspirations and expectations-of both leaders and followers. And the genius of leadership lies in the manner in which leaders see and act on their own and their fellow 's values and motivations”. As one reads this statement, one naturally reflects on personal leader experiences or ones learned through academic or professional studies. Abraham Lincoln, especially during his presidency, exemplified Burns definition of a leader.