Why was Harry Truman unpopular at the end of his term?

The stalemate with the Communist Chinese in the Korean conflict began to wear on the American people and cut into Truman's popularity. In addition, his 1951 firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur for insubordinate remarks about the conduct of the war was an unpopular move.

On the domestic side, Truman caused a controversy with his 1952 seizure of steel mills to prevent a strike by the steel industry. Although he justified the action by touting the president's inherent powers in time of emergency, it was overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court in a 6-3 vote.

Another problem developed when charges arose that several unnamed administration officials were Communists. This left the president vulnerable to charges that he was soft on Communism.

Truman announced in March 1952 that he would not stand for re-election. He left office on January 20, 1953 as one of the most unpopular presidents in history. His job approval rating of 22 percent in a February 1952 Gallup Poll was one of the lowest rankings ever.

Almost 60 years later, Truman's standing has rebounded considerably. He frequently is considered a "near-great" to "great" president in surveys of historians. In July, 2010, a Siena College poll of 238 presidential scholars ranked Truman ninth among the 43 men who have served as chief executive.