One Term Presidents

The most recent one-term president was George H.W. Bush. The Republican incumbent served as the 41st president of the United States from 1989 to 1993, but lost re-election to Democrat William (Bill) Clinton, who went on to complete two terms.

Bush's White House biography attributes his defeat to the country's "discontent at home from a faltering economy, rising violence in inner cities, and continued high deficit spending."

The 39th president of the United States, Democrat James (Jimmy) Carter, served from 1977 to 1981. He lost his re-election campaign to Republican Ronald Reagan, who went on to two full terms.

Carter's biography points to several factors that contributed to his loss — including a short recession and the hostage-taking of U.S. embassy staff in Iran. On the day Carter left office, Iran released 52 Americans.

Serving from 1974 to 1977, Gerald Ford was the 38th president of the United States. The Republican incumbent lost re-election to President Carter.

Following the resignation of President Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal, Ford became the first unelected president in U.S. history. Ford's controversial pardon of Nixon had consequences — and many blame it (along with numerous issues including a poor economy and the fall of South Vietnam) to have cost him the presidency.

ust eight months after Hoover took office, the stock market plummeted in a massive selloff. Hoover's efforts to revitalize the economy by supporting financial institutions with government loans proved insufficient. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by a staggering 82.1% under Hoover. Due largely to poor economic conditions, Hoover was a single-term president, losing to Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt by a landslide.

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Republican Herbert Hoover was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. He lost re-election to Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt, who went on to complete three full terms.

Within months of Hoover's election, the stock market crashed — spiraling the country into the Great Depression.

His opponents in Congress, who he felt were sabotaging his program for their own political gain, unfairly painted him as a callous and cruel President," reads his White House biography. "Hoover became the scapegoat for the Depression and was badly defeated in 1932."

The 27th president of the United States, Republican William Howard Taft, served from 1909 to 1913. He lost his re-election campaign to Democrat Woodrow Wilson, who went on to complete two full terms.

According to Taft's biography, the president "alienated many liberal Republicans who later formed the Progressive Party." The party's divide ended his presidency. When Republicans renominated Taft in 1912, Roosevelt left to lead to Progressives, guaranteeing the election of Wilson.

Serving from 1889 to 1893, Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd president of the United States. The Republican incumbent lost re-election to Democrat Grover Cleveland.