15th President · 1857–1861 · Democratic
James Buchanan
Watched the Union come apart and did nothing to stop it. A consensus pick for the worst president.
OverallD+GPA 1.16
The grades
- SovereigntyDid they put American interests first and keep decisions in American hands?D
- HemisphereDid they guard the Americas against rival powers and threats?C
- RestraintDid they keep the country out of wars of choice that weakened it?C
- StatecraftDid they use diplomacy, force and alliances skillfully, on American terms?D
- Industry and tradeDid they protect and build American industry?C-
- Working AmericansDid ordinary working families do better because of them?D
- BuildingDid they build things that lasted and push the frontier forward?C-
- NationDid they strengthen a shared American identity and the Union?F
- CompetenceWere they capable, honest and effective in office?F
On the axes
MarketEconomyPopulist
Free tradeTradeProtectionist
RestraintForeign policyInterventionist
CosmopolitanNationNational
Dark dot: James Buchanan. Red mark: the Monroe Society. Ideological closeness to the Society: 63%.