I'd consider putting Nixon in my to list too, just because his tight money policy did so much destruction to the economy in later years. But I tend to think Nixon was more a victim of his advisors. Carter was going down the same path (bad monetary policy ) and when the stagflation kicked in, he did one of the few good things during his term: budget cuts. And they eventually worked, unfortunately for him the full results weren't really felt until after he left office. Reagan rightfully deserves credit for continuing down that path, but Carter , was the one who exercised supply-side tactics ( albeit in desperation and not on principal ) and deregulated industries to get the economy moving again.
My worst president top 5 goes something like this:
1) Andrew Jackson - (Trail of Tears - not a shining moment in American History)
2) Jimmy Carter - How may foreign policy screw-ups was that?
3) Lyndon B. Johnson - Great Society. Enough said.
4) Woodrow Wilson - a. His name b. His open support of the KKK c. His "new world order"
5) James Buchanan - Yeah, maybe the war was inevitable, but this guy didn't do a whole lot to prevent it.
x, by your standards of the effect of one president upon the next (Carter to Reagan), or others, stacytec is on to something here with Nixon: deserved or not, the legacy of Watergate bites and empowers the wrong people yet today.