Pistoff,
The President is very limited in what he can do without the cooperation of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
I think you will see by the following list that the Democrats have held the power for most of the 20 th century.
SENATE
53 sessions with Democrat majorities - 8 sessions with Republican majorities
from 1939 through present
76th Congress (1939-1941)
Majority Party: Democrat (69 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (23 seats)
Other Parties: 2 Farmer-Labor; 1 Progressive; 1 Independent
Total Seats: 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
77th Congress (1941-1943)
Majority Party: Democrat (66 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (28 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Independent; 1 Progressive
Total Seats: 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
78th Congress (1943-1945)
Majority Party: Democrat (57 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (38 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Progressive
Total Seats: 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
79th Congress (1945-1947)
Majority Party: Democrat (57 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (38 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Progressive
Total Seats: 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
80th Congress (1947-1949)
Majority Party: Republican (51 seats)
Minority Party: Democrat (45 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
81st Congress (1949-1951)
Majority Party: Democrat (54 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (42 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
82nd Congress (1951-1953)
Majority Party: Democrat (49 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (47 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
83rd Congress (1953-1955)
Majority Party: Republican (48 seats)
Minority Party: Democrat (47 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Independent
Total Seats: 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84th Congress (1955-1957)
Majority Party: Democrat (48 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (47 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Independent
Total Seats: 96
Note: Strom Thurmond (SC) was an Independent Democrat during this Congress
until his resignation on April 4, 1956. In November of that year he was elected as
a Democrat to fill the vacancy created by his resignation. The Independent member
listed above was Wayne Morse (OR), who changed from an Independent to a
Democrat on February 17, 1955.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
85th Congress (1957-1959)
Majority Party: Democrat (49 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (47 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
86th Congress (1959-1961)
Majority Party: Democrat (65 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (35 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
87th Congress (1961-1963)
Majority Party: Democrat (64 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (36 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
88th Congress (1963-1965)
Majority Party: Democrat (66 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (34 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
89th Congress (1965-1967)
Majority Party: Democrat (68 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (32 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
90th Congress (1967-1969)
Majority Party: Democrat (64 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (36 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
91st Congress (1969-1971)
Majority Party: Democrat (57 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (43 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
92nd Congress (1971-1973)
Majority Party: Democrat (54 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (44 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Conservative; 1 Independent
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
93rd Congress (1973-1975)
Majority Party: Democrat (56 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (42 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Conservative; 1 Independent
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
94th Congress (1975-1977)
Majority Party: Democrat (60 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (38 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Conservative; 1 Independent
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
95th Congress (1977-1979)
Majority Party: Democrat (61 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (38 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Independent
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
96th Congress (1979-1981)
Majority Party: Democrat (58 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (41 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Independent
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
97th Congress (1981-1983)
Majority Party: Republican (53 seats)
Minority Party: Democrat (46 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Independent
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
98th Congress (1983-1985)
Majority Party: Republican (54 seats)
Minority Party: Democrat (46 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
99th Congress (1985-1987)
Majority Party: Republican (53 seats)
Minority Party: Democrat (47 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
100th Congress (1987-1989)
Majority Party: Democrat (55 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (45 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
101st Congress (1989-1991)
Majority Party: Democrat (55 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (45 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
102nd Congress (1991-1993)
Majority Party: Democrat (56 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (44 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
103rd Congress (1993-1995)
Majority Party: Democrat (57 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (43 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
Note: Party division changed to 56 Democrats and 44 Republicans after the
June 5, 1993 election of Kay B. Hutchison (R-TX).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
104th Congress (1995-1997)
Majority Party: Republican (52 seats)
Minority Party: Democrat (48 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
Note: Party ratio changed to 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats after Richard Shelby
of Alabama switched from the Democratic to Republican party on November 9, 1994.
It changed again, to 54 Republicans and 46 Democrats, when Ben Nighthorse Campbell
of Colorado switched from the Democratic to Republican party on March 3, 1995.
When Robert Packwood (R-OR) resigned on October 1, 1995, the Senate divided between
53 Republicans and 46 Democrats with one vacancy. Ron Wyden (D) returned the ratio to
53 Republicans and 47 Democrats when he was elected to fill the vacant Oregon seat.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
105th Congress (1997-1999)
Majority Party: Republican (55 seats)
Minority Party: Democrat (45 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
106th Congress (1999-2001)
Majority Party: Republican (55 seats)
Minority Party: Democrat (45 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
Note: As the 106th Congress began, the division was 55 Republican seats
and 45 Democratic seats, but this changed to 54-45 on July 13, 1999 when
Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire switched from the Republican party to
Independent status. On November 1, 1999, Smith announced his return to the
Republican party, making the division once more 55 Republicans and 45 Democrats.
Following the death of Senator Paul Coverdell (R-GA) on July 18, 2000, the balance
shifted again, to 54 Republicans and 46 Democrats, when the governor appointed
Zell Miller, a Democrat, to fill the vacancy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
107th Congress (2001-2003)
Majority Party (Jan 3-20, 2001): Democrat (50 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (50 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
_____
Majority Party (Jan 20-June 6, 2001): Republican (50 seats)
Minority Party: Democrat (50 seats)
Other Parties: 0
Total Seats: 100
_____
Majority Party (June 6, 2001 --): Democrat (50 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (49 seats)
Other Parties: 1
Total Seats: 100
HOUSE
25 sessions with Democrat majorities - 4 sessions with Republican majorities
77th Congress (1941-1943) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 2 Delegates, 2 Resident Commisioners |
78th Congress (1943-1945) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 2 Delegates, 2 Resident Commisioners |
79th Congress (1945-1947) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 2 Delegates, 2 Resident Commisioners |
80th Congress (1947-1949) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 2 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
81st Congress (1949-1951) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 2 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
82nd Congress (1951-1953) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 2 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
83rd Congress (1953-1955) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 2 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
84th Congress (1955-1957) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 2 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
85th Congress (1957-1959) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 2 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
86th Congress (1959-1961) |
Total Membership: 437 Members, 0 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
87th Congress (1961-1963) |
Total Membership: 437 Members, 0 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
88th Congress (1963-1965) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 0 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
89th Congress (1965-1967) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 0 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
90th Congress (1967-1969) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
91st Congress (1969-1971) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
92nd Congress (1971-1973) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
93rd Congress (1973-1975) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
94th Congress (1975-1977) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
95th Congress (1977-1979) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
96th Congress (1979-1981) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
97th Congress (1981-1983) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
98th Congress (1983-1985) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
99th Congress (1985-1987) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
100th Congress (1987-1989) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
101st Congress (1989-1991) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
102nd Congress (1991-1993) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
103rd Congress (1993-1995) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
104th Congress (1995-1997) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
105th Congress (1997-1999) |
Total Membership: 435 Members, 4 Delegates, 1 Resident Commisioner |
PRESIDENTS
1901-2001 - 11 Republicans - 7 Democrats
Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09)
William H. Taft (1909-13)
Woodrow Wilson (1913-21) (D)
Warren Harding (1921-23)
Calvin Coolidge (1923-29)
Herbert Hoover (1929-33)
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-45) (D)
Harry S Truman (1945-53) (D)
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-61)
John F. Kennedy (1961-63) (D)
Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-69) (D)
Richard M. Nixon (1969-74)
Gerald R. Ford (1974-77)
Jimmy Carter (1977-81) (D)
Ronald W. Reagan (1981-89)
George Bush (1989-93)
William J. Clinton (1993-2001) (D)
George W. Bush (2001-present)
You say:
This does not make any sense at all; look at the voting records, and who it is that has helped minorities. It is much more the dems, while the repubs have hidden behind racist "states rights" initiatives. Just because the problem has not gone away does not mean that democratic policies have not helped; they have helped.
History just does not agree with that statement. If you want to think that because the Democrats "feel the pain" of the minorities, that somehow helps them, I guess that is up to you. However the minorities have voted almost exclusively for the democrats for many years. Looking at the above information, where the Democrats clearly held power for a majority of the 20th century, most people would expect that all of the problems of the minorities would have been solved many years ago. The Democrats have done nothing to really cure the problems of minorities. They have created many feel good programs which sound good, but in reality, only made the minorities dependent on them for handouts.
Borgfree
