James K. Polk
The most underrated president in American history — Polk set four specific goals, achieved all four in one term, and didn't run for re-election as promised. Under Polk the U.S. acquired California, the Southwest, Oregon, and won the Mexican-American War.
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Often Compared To
Jimmy Carter
#2President / Democrat — Plains, Georgia · 1977–1981
A one-term presidency overshadowed by the Iran hostage crisis — but Carter's post-presidential legacy of global diplomacy, Habitat for Humanity, and election monitoring may be the most consequential in American history.
Joe Biden
#3President / Democrat — Scranton, Pennsylvania · 2021–2025
The oldest president in American history, Biden's administration passed landmark legislation — the Infrastructure Act, CHIPS Act, and Inflation Reduction Act — while managing Ukraine and overseeing a post-COVID economic recovery before declining to seek re-election.