Divided government in the United States - wikipedia Divided government in the United States ( Redirected from Presidents of the United States and control of Congress ) In the United States, divided government describes a situation in which one party controls the executive branch while another party controls one or both houses of the legislative branch. Divided government is seen by different groups as a benefit or as an undesirable product of the model of governance used in the U.S. political system. Under said model, known as the separation of powers, the state is divided into different branches. Each branch has separate and independent powers and areas of responsibility so that the powers of one branch are not in conflict with the powers associated with the others. However, the degree to which the President of the United States has control of Congress often determines his political strength - such as the ability to pass sponsored legislation, ratify treaties, and have Cabinet members and judges approved. The model can be contrasted with the fusion of powers in a parliamentary system where the executive and legislature ( and sometimes parts of the judiciary ) are unified. Those in favor of divided government believe that such separations encourage more policing of those in power by the opposition, as well as limiting spending and the expansion of undesirable laws. Opponents, however, argue that divided governments become lethargic, leading to many gridlocks. In the late 1980s, Terry M. Moe, a professor of political science at Stanford University, examined the issue. He concluded that divided governments lead to compromise which can be seen as beneficial. But he also noticed that divided governments subvert performance and politicize the decisions of executive agencies. Early in the 20th century, divided government was rare, but since the 1970s it has become increasingly common. Contents 1 Party control of legislative and executive branches since 1901 2 Presidential impact 3 Presidents by congressional control and terms won / served 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading Party control of legislative and executive branches since 1901 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( May 2013 ) Party control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives ( including President 's party ) : 1855 - 2017 D denotes the Democratic Party and R denotes the Republican Party Year President Senate House 1901 -- 1903 1903 -- 1905 1905 -- 1907 1907 -- 1909 1909 -- 1911 1911 - 1913 1913 -- 1915 1915 -- 1917 1917 -- 1919 1919 - 1921 1921 -- 1923 1923 -- 1925 1925 -- 1927 1927 -- 1929 1929 -- 1931 1931 - 1933 1933 -- 1935 1935 -- 1937 1937 -- 1939 1939 -- 1941 1941 -- 1943 1943 -- 1945 1945 -- 1947 1947 - 1949 1949 -- 1951 1951 -- 1953 1953 -- 1955 1955 - 1957 1957 - 1959 1959 - 1961 1961 -- 1963 1963 -- 1965 1965 -- 1967 1967 -- 1969 1969 - 1971 1971 - 1973 1973 - 1975 1975 - 1977 1977 -- 1979 1979 -- 1981 1981 - 1983 1983 - 1985 1985 - 1987 1987 - 1989 1989 - 1991 1991 - 1993 1993 -- 1995 1995 - 1997 1997 - 1999 1999 - 2001 2001 - 2003 2003 -- 2005 2005 -- 2007 2007 - 2009 2009 -- 2011 2011 - 2013 2013 - 2015 2015 - 2017 2017 - 2019 The 2000 election resulted in a 50 - 50 tie in the Senate, and the Constitution gives tie - breaking power to the Vice President. The Vice President was Democrat Al Gore from January 3, 2001 until the inauguration of Republican Richard Cheney on January 20. Then on May 24, Republican Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont left the Republican Party to caucus with the Democrats as an independent, resulting in another shift of control. Presidential impact 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. Presidents by congressional control and terms won / served No. President President 's Party Senate with Senate opposed House with House opposed Congress with Congress opposed Congress divided Years served Elections won George Washington None 8 0 0 8 John Adams Federalist 0 0 0 0 Thomas Jefferson Democratic - Republican 8 0 8 0 8 0 0 8 James Madison Democratic - Republican 8 0 8 0 8 0 0 8 5 James Monroe Democratic - Republican 8 0 8 0 8 0 0 8 6 John Quincy Adams Democratic - Republican 0 0 7 Andrew Jackson Democratic 6 8 0 6 0 8 8 Martin Van Buren Democratic 0 0 0 0 9 William Harrison Whig 0.1 0 0.1 0 0.1 0 0 0.1 10 John Tyler Whig Independent 0 0 0 11 James Polk Democratic 0 0 12 Zachary Taylor Whig 0 0 0 0 13 Millard Fillmore Whig 0 0 0 0 0 14 Franklin Pierce Democratic 0 0 15 James Buchanan Democratic 0 0 16 Abraham Lincoln Republican National Union 0 0 0 0 17 Andrew Johnson National Union 0 0 0 0 0 18 Ulysses Grant Republican 8 0 6 6 0 8 19 Rutherford Hayes Republican 0 0 20 James Garfield Republican 0 0.5 0.5 0 0 0 0.5 0.5 21 Chester Arthur Republican 0 0 0 22 Grover Cleveland Democratic 0 0 0 0 23 Benjamin Harrison Republican 0 0 24 Grover Cleveland Democratic 0 25 William McKinley Republican 4.5 0 4.5 0 4.5 0 0 4.5 26 Theodore Roosevelt Republican 7.5 0 7.5 0 7.5 0 0 7.5 27 William Taft Republican 0 0 28 Woodrow Wilson Democratic 6 6 6 0 8 29 Warren Harding Republican 0 0 0 0 30 Calvin Coolidge Republican 6 0 6 0 6 0 0 6 31 Herbert Hoover Republican 0 0 32 Franklin Roosevelt Democratic 12 0 12 0 12 0 0 12.1 33 Harry Truman Democratic 6 6 6 0 7.8 34 Dwight Eisenhower Republican 6 6 6 0 8 35 John Kennedy Democratic 2.8 0 2.8 0 2.8 0 0 2.8 36 Lyndon Johnson Democratic 5.2 0 5.2 0 5.2 0 0 5.2 37 Richard Nixon Republican 0 5.6 0 5.6 0 5.6 0 5.6 38 Gerald Ford Republican 0 2.4 0 2.4 0 2.4 0 2.4 0 39 Jimmy Carter Democratic 0 0 0 0 40 Ronald Reagan Republican 6 0 8 0 6 8 41 George H.W. Bush Republican 0 0 0 0 42 Bill Clinton Democratic 6 6 6 0 8 43 George W. Bush Republican 4.5 3.5 6 4.5 1.5 8 44 Barack Obama Democratic 6 6 8 45 Donald Trump Republican 0 0 0 0 No. President President 's Party Senate with Senate opposed House with House opposed Congress with Congress opposed Congress divided Years served Elections won See also Divided government Party divisions of United States Congresses Political power in the United States over time Political party strength in U.S. states References Jump up ^ `` Would Divided Government Be Better ? ''. Cato Institute. Retrieved 20 September 2015. Jump up ^ Moe, Terry ( 1989 ). `` The Politics of Bureaucratic Structure ''. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 04. Jump up ^ `` Party In Power - Congress and Presidency - A Visual Guide To The Balance of Power In Congress, 1945 - 2008 ''. Uspolitics.about.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Chart of Presidents of the United States ''. Filibustercartoons.com. Retrieved September 17, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Composition of Congress by Party 1855 -- 2013 ''. Infoplease.com. Retrieved September 17, 2012. Jump up ^ Clinton served the last 17 days of his 2nd term with a 50 - 50 majority in the senate with Al Gore being the tie breaker for the democrats after they won control in the 2000 elections until Republican Vice president Dick Cheney was sworn in and broke the tie in favor of the republicans. Further reading Morris Fiorina, Divided Government, 1996. David R. Mayhew, Divided We Govern, 1991. Lists related to the Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States List of Presidents List of Vice Presidents Presidents Age Autobiographies Burial places Death Historical rankings Lifespan timeline Number living Time in office Portraits Professional careers Approval rating Assassination attempts and plots Campaign slogans Control of Congress Doctrines Inaugurations International trips Judicial appointments Libraries Military rank Military service Other offices held Pardons Previous experience Vetoes Personal life Coats of arms Deaths in office Education Facial hair Firsts Freemasons Multilingualism Net worth Nicknames Pets Home state Religious affiliation Residences Slave owners Vice Presidents Age Burial places Coats of arms Education Number living Other offices held Place of primary affiliation Religious affiliation Tie - breaking votes Time in office Succession Acting President Designated survivor Line of succession Elections Electoral College margin Popular vote margin Summary Winner lost popular vote Candidates Democrat Republican Third party Green Libertarian Progressive National Republican / Whig African American Female Received at least one electoral vote Number of votes received Height Unsuccessful major party candidates Lost their home state Families First Families First Ladies Second Ladies Children Namesakes, honors Memorial sites U.S. postage stamp appearances Educational institution names Currency appearances U.S. county names U.S. Senate vice presidential bust collection In fiction Presidents actors Vice Presidents actors Candidates Line of succession U.S. Government Portal Biography Portal Presidents of the United States Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Divided_government_in_the_United_States&oldid=854443388 '' Categories : Political science terminology Government of the United States Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from May 2013 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Edit links This page was last edited on 11 August 2018, at 11 : 29 ( UTC ). 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Question: when different parties control the white house and congress
Answer: divided government