Which party controls Congress? Which, the White House? The answer reveals the “balance of power” in the two branches of government that have elected officials (Congress and the White House).
Americans seem to prefer that the checks-and-balances envisioned by the founders be facilitated by having different parties control Congress and the White House.
Contrary to popular belief, most of the time (in modern political history) Congress and the President are at odds; that is, most of the time the same political party does not control the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. Only 13 times (26 years) since 1945 have both branches of Congress and the Presidency been controlled by the same party; the Democrats have held this advantage more often than Republicans (11 to 2).
At the same time, Congress has usually been controlled by the same party. The “odd man out” has literally been the President. Since 1945, the House and Senate have been controlled by different parties only six times (12 years) — but two of those have been since the 2000 elections, which makes this “seem” more normal than it is, historically. And there have been only two complete turn-overs of Congress since 1949: one in 1993 and the other in 2007.
| Year | Congress | President | Senate (100) | House (435) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 112th | D | D: 56-42-2 | R: 241-193 |
| 2009 | 111th | D | D – 57*** | D – 256 |
| 2007 | 110th | R | D – 49** | D – 233 |
| 2005 | 109th | R | R – 55 | R – 232 |
| 2003 | 108th | R | R – 51 | R – 229 |
| 2001 | 107th | R | D* | R – 221 |
| 1999 | 106th | D | R – 55 | R – 223 |
| 1997 | 105th | D | R – 55 | R – 228 |
| 1995 | 104th | D | R – 52 | R – 230 |
| 1993 | 103rd | D | D – 57 | D – 258 |
| 1991 | 102nd | R | D – 56 | D – 267 |
| 1989 | 101st | R | D – 55 | D – 260 |
| 1987 | 100th | R | D – 55 | D – 258 |
| 1985 | 99th | R | R – 53 | D – 253 |
| 1983 | 98th | R | R – 54 | D – 269 |
| 1981 | 97th | R | R – 53 | D – 242 |
| 1979 | 96th | D | D – 58 | D – 277 |
| 1977 | 95th | D | D – 61 | D – 292 |
| 1975 | 94th | R | D – 60 | D -291 |
| 1973 | 93rd | R | D – 56 | D – 242 |
| 1971 | 92nd | R | D – 54 | D – 255 |
| 1969 | 91st | R | D – 57 | D – 243 |
| 1967 | 90th | D | D – 64 | D – 247 |
| 1965 | 89th | D | D – 68 | D – 295 |
| 1963 | 88th | D | D – 66 | D – 259 |
| 1961 | 87th | D | D – 64 | D – 263 |
| 1959 | 86th | R | D – 65 | D -283 |
| 1957 | 85th | R | D – 49 | D – 232 |
| 1955 | 84th | R | D – 48 | D – 232 |
| 1953 | 83rd | R | R – 48 | D – 221 |
| 1951 | 82nd | D | D – 49 | D – 235 |
| 1949 | 81st | D | D – 54 | D – 263 |
| 1947 | 80th | D | R – 51 | R – 246 |
| 1945 | 79th | D | D – 57 | D – 242 |
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Yellow years mark Presidential inauguration. |
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* There were 50 Ds and 50 Rs until May 24, 2001, when Sen. James Jeffords (R-VT) switched to Independent status, effective June 6, 2001; he announced that he would caucus with the Democrats, giving the Democrats a one-seat advantage.
** Two Independents (Lieberman-CT and Sanders-VT). Lieberman was reelected in 2006 as an independent candidate and became an Independent Democrat; Sanders was elected in 2006 as an Independent.
*** Two Independents (Lieberman-CT and Sanders-VT); Arlen Specter (PA) was reelected in 2004 as a Republican and became a Democrat on April 30, 2009.
RELATED: Visual Guide : The President v the Senate (Confirmed Nominations)
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I created this table (and introductory narrative) while I was the US Politics guide at About.com. I left that position in March 2009.
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nice chart! thank you.
LOL – Thanks, Tom! I need to update the headline …
thanks for this chart, needed it for an argument with my Aunt! :-)
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