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.
