I've been nerding out on some historical data. I thought it would be fun to look at every single past Congress (Houe of Representatives + Senate) in US history all the way up to present to see, based on their political party's numbers in Congress when each individual President was in power, how much power they had. Power can be measured by a number of different ways, but for the purpose of this thread, I wanted to look at data based on congressional makeup. If this proves popular, I'll continue to find other fun nuggets in political history to share.
I want a different thread for this than the main US Politics one because a) That one is almost entirely focused on present events, or at least modern history, which is the opposite of this thread and b) That thread is filled with people arguing about modern politics, whereas this one is more going to be analytical of data and not very subjective.
I thought about adding Supreme Court makeup into this total, but many justices, especially historically, did not necessarily rule in favor of their nominating party, so it isn't as indicative of power.
With that being said, here are the power rankings for Presidents during respective two year congressional terms, based on power in Congress I calculated (please point out if you ever find something incorrect so I can fix it) of past and current presidents of the United States of America!
Election | House | Senate | Points (200) | Notes: | ||
James Monroe | Democratic- Republican |
1823 | 0.8873239437 | 0.8958333333 | 178.3157277 | |
James Monroe | Democratic- Republican |
1821 | 0.8288770053 | 0.9166666667 | 174.5543672 | |
James Monroe | Democratic- Republican |
1819 | 0.8602150538 | 0.8043478261 | 166.456288 | |
Thomas Jefferson | Democratic- Republican |
1807 | 0.8169014085 | 0.8235294118 | 164.043082 | |
Thomas Jefferson | Democratic- Republican |
1805 | 0.8028169014 | 0.7941176471 | 159.6934548 | |
James Madison | Democratic- Republican |
1811 | 0.7482517483 | 0.8333333333 | 158.1585082 | |
Franklin D. Roosevelt | Democrat | 1937 | 0.7655172414 | 0.7916666667 | 155.7183908 | |
Ulysses S. Grant | Republican | 1869 | 0.6995884774 | 0.8243243243 | 152.3912802 |
2 Senate Vacancies.
|
James Monroe | Democratic- Republican |
1817 | 0.7891891892 | 0.7142857143 | 150.3474903 | |
Thomas Jefferson | Democratic- Republican |
1803 | 0.7253521127 | 0.7352941176 | 146.064623 | |
John Adams | Democratic- Republican |
1797 | 0.5377358491 | 0.6875 | 146 |
Senate Super majority
|
Franklin D. Roosevelt | Democrat | 1935 | 0.7402298851 | 0.71875 | 145.8979885 | |
James Madison | Democratic- Republican |
1813 | 0.6263736264 | 0.8235294118 | 144.9903038 | |
James Madison | Democratic- Republican |
1809 | 0.6478873239 | 0.7941176471 | 144.2004971 | |
Ulysses S. Grant | Republican | 1873 | 0.6975945017 | 0.7397260274 | 143.7320529 |
2 House vacancies, 1 Senate vacancy.
|
Lyndon B. Johnson | Democrat | 1965 | 0.6781609195 | 0.68 | 135.816092 | |
James Madison | Democratic- Republican |
1815 | 0.650273224 | 0.6842105263 | 133.448375 | |
Franklin D. Roosevelt | Democrat | 1933 | 0.7195402299 | 0.6145833333 | 133.4123563 | |
Ulysses S. Grant | Republican | 1871 | 0.5596707819 | 0.7702702703 | 132.9941052 | |
Franklin D. Roosevelt | Democrat | 1939 | 0.6 | 0.71875 | 131.875 | |
Warren G. Harding | Republican | 1921 | 0.6928406467 | 0.6145833333 | 130.742398 |
2 House vacancies.
|
Franklin D. Roosevelt | Democrat | 1941 | 0.616091954 | 0.6875 | 130.3591954 | |
Theodore Roosevelt | Republican | 1905 | 0.6476683938 | 0.6444444444 | 129.2112838 | |
Franklin Pierce | Democrat | 1853 | 0.6709401709 | 0.6129032258 | 128.3843397 | |
Jimmy Carter | Democrat | 1977 | 0.6712643678 | 0.61 | 128.1264368 | |
Lyndon B. Johnson | Democrat | 1963 | 0.5944700461 | 0.67 | 126.4470046 |
1 House vacancy.
|
George Washington | Unaffiliated | 1789 | 0.5692307692 | 0.6923076923 | 126.1538462 | |
John Adams | Democratic- Republican |
1799 | 0.5660377358 | 0.6875 | 125.3537736 | |
Theodore Roosevelt | Republican | 1907 | 0.5751295337 | 0.6777777778 | 125.2907311 |
2 Senate Vacancies.
|
John F. Kennedy | Democrat | 1961 | 0.5995423341 | 0.64 | 123.9542334 | |
Abraham Lincoln | Republican | 1861 | 0.6022727273 | 0.62 | 122.2272727 |
Many states left so house members diminished. Two vacanies in House and 1 vacancy in Senate.
|
Jimmy Carter | Democrat | 1979 | 0.6367816092 | 0.58 | 121.6781609 | |
Lyndon B. Johnson | Democrat | 1967 | 0.569124424 | 0.64 | 120.9124424 |
1 House vacancy.
|
James K. Polk | Democrat | 1845 | 0.6228070175 | 0.5862068966 | 120.9013914 | |
William H. Taft | Republican | 1909 | 0.5601023018 | 0.6483516484 | 120.845395 |
1 Senate vacancy.
|
Herbert Hoover | Republican | 1929 | 0.6194895592 | 0.5833333333 | 120.2822892 |
4 House vacancies.
|
Martin Van Buren | Democrat | 1837 | 0.5289256198 | 0.6730769231 | 120.2002543 | |
Woodrow Wilson | Democrat | 1913 | 0.6666666667 | 0.53125 | 119.7916667 | |
Theodore Roosevelt | Republican | 1901 | 0.5561797753 | 0.6363636364 | 119.2543412 |
2 Senate vacancies, 1 House vacancy.
|
Theodore Roosevelt | Republican | 1903 | 0.5376623377 | 0.6444444444 | 118.2106782 |
1 House vacancy.
|
Barack Obama | Democrat | 2009 | 0.5908045977 | 0.59 | 118.0804598 |
At one point Democrats had 58, at another 60 Senators cacusing with their side.
|
Harry S. Truman | Democrat | 1949 | 0.6022988506 | 0.5625 | 116.4798851 | |
Bill Clinton | Democrat | 1993 | 0.5931034483 | 0.57 | 116.3103448 | |
James Buchanan | Democrat | 1857 | 0.552742616 | 0.609375 | 116.2117616 | |
Andrew Jackson | Jacksonians | 1829 | 0.6384976526 | 0.5208333333 | 115.9330986 | |
John Tyler | Whig | 1841 | 0.5867768595 | 0.568627451 | 115.540431 |
1 Senate Vacancy, Whig kicked Tyler out of party so he was very weak.
|
Harry S. Truman | Democrat | 1945 | 0.5586206897 | 0.59375 | 115.237069 | |
Thomas Jefferson | Democratic- Republican |
1801 | 0.6355140187 | 0.5151515152 | 115.0665534 |
2 Senate vacancies.
|
Calvin Coolidge | Republican | 1925 | 0.567816092 | 0.5684210526 | 113.6237145 |
1 Senate vacancy.
|
Grover Cleveland | Democrat | 1893 | 0.6179775281 | 0.5176470588 | 113.5624587 |
3 Senate Vacancies.
|
Abraham Lincoln | Republican | 1863 | 0.5628415301 | 0.568627451 | 113.1468981 | |
Woodrow Wilson | Democrat | 1915 | 0.5347222222 | 0.5833333333 | 111.8055556 |
3 House vacancies.
|
George Washington | 1791 | 0.5652173913 | 0.5517241379 | 111.6941529 |
1 Senate vacancy.
|
|
James K. Polk | Democrat | 1847 | 0.4782608696 | 0.6333333333 | 111.1594203 | |
William McKinley | Republican | 1899 | 0.5182072829 | 0.5888888889 | 110.7096172 | |
Franklin D. Roosevelt | Democrat | 1943 | 0.5103448276 | 0.59375 | 110.4094828 | |
Martin Van Buren | Democrat | 1839 | 0.5165289256 | 0.5769230769 | 109.3452003 | |
Andrew Jackson | Jacksonians | 1831 | 0.5915492958 | 0.5 | 109.1549296 | |
Andrew Jackson | Jacksonians | 1835 | 0.5909090909 | 0.5 | 109.0909091 | |
William McKinley | Republican | 1897 | 0.5786516854 | 0.5111111111 | 108.9762797 |
1 House vacancy.
|
George W. Bush | Republican | 2001 | 0.508045977 | 0.5 | 109.137931 |
1 Republican Senator became independent, cacusing with Democrats in May 2001.
|
Benjamin Harrison | Republican | 1889 | 0.5242424242 | 0.5595238095 | 108.3766234 | |
George W. Bush | Republican | 2005 | 0.5333333333 | 0.55 | 108.3333333 | |
Donald Trump | Republican | 2017 | 0.5540229885 | 0.52 | 107.4022989 | |
Calvin Coolidge | Republican | 1923 | 0.5172413793 | 0.53125 | 104.8491379 | |
Calvin Coolidge | Republican | 1927 | 0.5448275862 | 0.5 | 104.4827586 | |
Harry S. Truman | Democrat | 1951 | 0.5402298851 | 0.5 | 104.0229885 | |
George W. Bush | Republican | 2003 | 0.5264367816 | 0.51 | 103.6436782 | |
Woodrow Wilson | Democrat | 1917 | 0.4827586207 | 0.5520833333 | 103.4841954 | |
George Washington | Unaffiliated | 1793 | 0.4857142857 | 0.5333333333 | 101.9047619 | |
Grover Cleveland | Democrat | 1885 | 0.5617283951 | 0.4533333333 | 101.5061728 |
1 Senate and 1 House vacancy.
|
Andrew Jackson | Jacksonians | 1833 | 0.5958333333 | 0.4166666667 | 101.25 | |
Barack Obama | Democrat | 2013 | 0.4620689655 | 0.55 | 101.2068966 | |
Joe Biden | Democrat | 2021 | 0.5103448276 | 0.5 | 101.0344828 | |
Grover Cleveland | Democrat | 1887 | 0.5230769231 | 0.4868421053 | 100.9919028 | |
Dwight D. Eisenhower | Republican | 1953 | 0.508045977 | 0.5 | 100.8045977 | |
Chester A. Arthur | Republican | 1881 | 0.5187713311 | 0.4868421053 | 100.5613436 | |
James Buchanan | Democrat | 1859 | 0.4261603376 | 0.5757575758 | 100.1917913 | |
Herbert Hoover | Republican | 1931 | 0.4988505747 | 0.5 | 99.88505747 |
Democrats also had 217 House members and 48 Senators. 1 Independent in each chamber.
|
Donald Trump | Republican | 2019 | 0.4597701149 | 0.53 | 98.97701149 | |
Franklin Pierce | Democrat | 1855 | 0.3547008547 | 0.6290322581 | 98.37331128 | |
Ulysses S. Grant | Republican | 1875 | 0.3676975945 | 0.6133333333 | 98.10309278 |
2 House vacancies, 1 Senate vacancy.
|
Rutherford B. Hayes | Republican | 1877 | 0.4675767918 | 0.5131578947 | 98.07346865 | |
Barack Obama | Democrat | 2011 | 0.4436781609 | 0.53 | 97.36781609 | |
Ronald Reagan | Republican | 1981 | 0.4413793103 | 0.53 | 97.13793103 | |
John Quincy Adams | Anti-Jacksonians | 1825 | 0.5117370892 | 0.4583333333 | 97.00704225 | |
Dwight D. Eisenhower | Republican | 1955 | 0.4666666667 | 0.4895833333 | 95.625 | |
George W. Bush | Republican | 2007 | 0.4643678161 | 0.49 | 95.43678161 | |
William H. Taft | Republican | 1911 | 0.4143222506 | 0.5384615385 | 95.27837891 |
1 Senate vacancy.
|
Dwight D. Eisenhower | Republican | 1957 | 0.4620689655 | 0.4895833333 | 95.16522989 | |
Ronald Reagan | Republican | 1985 | 0.416091954 | 0.53 | 94.6091954 | |
Bill Clinton | Democrat | 1995 | 0.4689655172 | 0.47 | 93.89655172 | |
Bill Clinton | Democrat | 1999 | 0.4850574713 | 0.45 | 93.50574713 | |
Woodrow Wilson | Democrat | 1919 | 0.4390804598 | 0.4895833333 | 92.86637931 | |
Bill Clinton | Democrat | 1997 | 0.4735632184 | 0.45 | 92.35632184 | |
Ronald Reagan | Republican | 1983 | 0.3793103448 | 0.54 | 91.93103448 | |
John Quincy Adams | Anti-Jacksonians | 1827 | 0.4694835681 | 0.4375 | 90.69835681 | |
Harry S. Truman | Democrat | 1947 | 0.432183908 | 0.46875 | 90.0933908 | |
Chester A. Arthur | Republican | 1883 | 0.3661538462 | 0.5263157895 | 89.24696356 | |
John Tyler | Independent | 1843 | 0.3228699552 | 0.5576923077 | 88.05622628 | |
Rutherford B. Hayes | Republican | 1879 | 0.4383561644 | 0.4342105263 | 87.25666907 |
1 House vacancy.
|
Barack Obama | Democrat | 2015 | 0.432183908 | 0.44 | 87.2183908 | |
Zachary Taylor | Whig | 1849 | 0.4655172414 | 0.4032258065 | 86.87430478 |
1 House Vacancy.
|
Ronald Reagan | Republican | 1987 | 0.416091954 | 0.45 | 86.6091954 | |
Richard Nixon | Republican | 1969 | 0.4413793103 | 0.42 | 86.13793103 | |
Gerald Ford | Republican | 1973 | 0.4413793103 | 0.42 | 86.13793103 | |
Richard Nixon | Republican | 1971 | 0.4137931034 | 0.44 | 85.37931034 | |
George H.W. Bush | Republican | 1989 | 0.4022988506 | 0.45 | 85.22988506 | |
George H.W. Bush | Republican | 1991 | 0.383908046 | 0.44 | 82.3908046 | |
Benjamin Harrison | Republican | 1891 | 0.2642642643 | 0.5340909091 | 79.83551734 | |
Millard Fillmore | Whig | 1851 | 0.364806867 | 0.3709677419 | 73.57746089 | |
Grover Cleveland | Democrat | 1895 | 0.2913165266 | 0.4431818182 | 73.44983448 | |
Dwight D. Eisenhower | Republican | 1959 | 0.3501144165 | 0.3541666667 | 70.42810831 | |
Gerald Ford | Republican | 1975 | 0.3310344828 | 0.37 | 70.10344828 | |
Andrew Johnson | Independent | 1867 | 0.2552083333 | 0.2075471698 | 46.27555031 |
1 House Vacancy.
|
Andrew Johnson | Independent | 1865 | 0.2408376963 | 0.1886792453 | 42.95169416 |
Was a Democrat before election, but didn't fully align with Republicans once Lincoln was murdered.
|
George Washington | Unaffiliated | 1795 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Rejected both parties. |