8. George W. Bush
SRI Ranking: 39
Brookings Ranking: 35
George W. Bush is the latest president on our list of 15 least successful presidents of all time. His legacy is highly contested one, and the general impression is that a greater time distance is needed to fully judge his presidency. His critics found major faults with his tax cuts, handling of the Iraqi War, the Katrina disaster, and the 2008 Financial Crisis. With all this in mind, it seems highly unlikely that his place on this list will improve much, regardless of how much time has passed. Still, he will go down in history as one of the most influential presidents, as his actions in the White House have determined the course of the United States foreign policy for decades to come.
