United States Presidents and control of Congress

In United States history, the degree to which the President's political party has control over the House of Representatives and Senate often determines his or her political strength - such as the ability to pass sponsored legislation, ratify treaties, and have Cabinet members and judges approved. Moreover, it appears to have a strong effect on his or her historical ranking, especially in conjunction with years served and number of elections won.

Of the top 18 presidents in the 2000 Wall Street Journal poll, all had:

Many presidents' elections produced what is known as a coattail effect, in which the success of a presidential candidate also leads to electoral success for other members of his or her party. In fact, all newly-elected presidents except Zachary Taylor, Richard Nixon and George H. W. Bush were accompanied by control of at least one house of Congress.

Other ways of referring to "control of the Congress", include "majority party in power," "composition of each chamber", "history of the House of Representatives", "composition of Congress", "control of Congress timeline," "control of Congress through the years," "main party in power" and "historical control or power of the Senate."

Contents

Emphasized relationship of main table

Rank President Percent of time controlling House Percent of time controlling Senate Won re-election or served more than four years
1 George Washington 75 100 Yes
2 Abraham Lincoln 100 100 Yes
3 Franklin Roosevelt 100 100 Yes
4 Thomas Jefferson 100 100 Yes
5 Theodore Roosevelt 100 100 Yes
6 Andrew Jackson 100 100 Yes
7 Harry Truman 75 75 Yes
8 Ronald Reagan 0 75 Yes
9 Dwight Eisenhower 25 25 Yes
10 Woodrow Wilson 75 75 Yes
11 James Polk 50 100 No (chose not to seek reelection for health reasons)
12 Grover Cleveland 75 50 Yes
13 John Quincy Adams 100 50 No
14 William McKinley 100 100 Yes
15 James Madison 100 100 Yes
16 James Monroe 100 100 Yes
17 John F. Kennedy 100 100 No (assassinated)
18 Lyndon Johnson 100 100 Yes
Rank President Percent of time controlling House Percent of time controlling Senate Won re-election or served more than four years

Comparing presidential ranking with congressional control and terms won/served

# President Party House with (years) Senate with (years) House opposed (years) Senate opposed (years) Years served Elections won Ranking in CSPAN 2009 poll
1 George Washington Federalist-leaning 6 8 2 0 8 2 02
2 John Adams Federalist 4 4 0 0 4 1 17
3 Thomas Jefferson Democratic-Republican 8 8 0 0 8 2 07
4 James Madison D-R 8 8 0 0 8 2 20
5 James Monroe D-R 8 8 0 0 8 2 14
6 John Quincy Adams D-R 2 2 2 2 4 1 19
7 Andrew Jackson Democratic 8 8 0 0 8 2 13
8 Martin Van Buren Democratic 4 4 0 0 4 1 31
9 William Henry Harrison Whig  –  – 0 0  – 1 39
10 John Tyler Whig/none 2 4 2 0 4 0 35
11 James K. Polk Democratic 2 4 2 0 4 1 12
12 Zachary Taylor Whig 0 0 1 1 1 1 29
13 Millard Fillmore Whig 0 0 3 3 3 0 37
14 Franklin Pierce Democratic 2 4 2 0 4 1 40
15 James Buchanan Democratic 2 4 2 0 4 1 42
16 Abraham Lincoln Republican 4 4 0 0 4 2 01
17 Andrew Johnson Democratic 0 0 4 4 4 0 41
18 Ulysses S. Grant Republican 6 8 2 0 8 2 23
19 Rutherford B. Hayes Republican 0 2 4 2 4 1 33
20 James Garfield Republican  –  – 0 0  – 1 28
21 Chester A. Arthur Republican 2 4 2 0 4 0 32
22, 24 Grover Cleveland Democratic 6 4 2 4 8 2 21
23 Benjamin Harrison Republican 2 4 2 0 4 1 30
25 William McKinley Republican 4 4 0 0 4 2 16
26 Theodore Roosevelt Republican 8 8 0 0 8 1 04
27 William Howard Taft Republican 2 4 2 0 4 1 24
28 Woodrow Wilson Democratic 6 6 2 2 8 2 09
29 Warren G. Harding Republican 2 2 0 0 2 1 38
30 Calvin Coolidge Republican 6 6 0 0 6 1 26
31 Herbert Hoover Republican 2 4 2 0 4 1 34
32 Franklin D. Roosevelt Democratic 12 12 0 0 12 4 03
33 Harry S. Truman Democratic 6 6 2 2 8 1 05
34 Dwight D. Eisenhower Republican 2 2 6 6 8 2 08
35 John F. Kennedy Democratic 3 3 0 0 3 1 06
36 Lyndon B. Johnson Democratic 5 5 0 0 5 1 11
37 Richard Nixon Republican 0 0 6 6 6 2 27
38 Gerald R. Ford Republican 0 0 2 2 2 0 22
39 Jimmy Carter Democratic 4 4 0 0 4 1 25
40 Ronald Reagan Republican 0 6 8 2 8 2 10
41 George H. W. Bush Republican 0 0 4 4 4 1 18
42 Bill Clinton Democratic 2 2 6 6 8 2 15
43 George W. Bush Republican 6 4 2 4 8 2 36
44 Barack Obama Democratic 2 3 1 0 3 1 n/a
# President Party House with (years) Senate with (years) House opposed (years) Senate opposed (years) Years served Elections won Ranking in CSPAN 2009 poll

References

  1. ^ http://uspolitics.about.com/od/usgovernment/l/bl_party_division_2.htm
  2. ^ http://www.filibustercartoons.com/prezidents.htm
  3. ^ http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0774721.html
  4. ^ http://uspolitics.about.com/od/usgovernment/l/bl_party_division_2.htm
  5. ^ http://www.filibustercartoons.com/prezidents.htm
  6. ^ http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0774721.html

See also

Presidential lists by order
Professional careers
Personal life
Vice presidential lists
Succession
Elections
Candidates
In fiction
Families