The President of the United States is the head of state and the head of government of the United States . As chief of the executive branch and head of the federal government as a whole, the Presidency is the highest political official position in the United States by influence and recognition. The President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. armed forces . The President is indirectly elected to a four year term by an Electoral College . Since the ratification of the Twenty-second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1951, no person may be elected to the office of the President more than twice.[1] This list includes only those persons who were sworn into office as President of the United States following the ratification of the United States Constitution , which took effect in 1789. For American leaders prior to this ratification, see President of the Continental Congress . The list does not include any Acting Presidents under the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
There have been 42 people sworn into office, and 43 Presidencies, due to the fact that Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms and is counted chronologically as both the 22nd and the 24th President. Of the individuals elected as President, four died in office of natural causes , one resigned , and four were assassinated . The first President was George Washington , who was inaugurated in 1789 after an unanimous Electoral College vote. William Henry Harrison spent the shortest time in office at 32 days. At over twelve years, Franklin D. Roosevelt spent the longest time in office, and is the only President to serve more than two terms. The current incumbent President is George W. Bush , who is serving his second term. His term is scheduled to end with Inauguration Day —when the next President is sworn in —on January 20, 2009.[2]
Presidents
Federalist
Democratic-Republican
Democratic
Whig
Republican
#[*]
President
Took office
Left office
Party
Vice President
Term[*]
1
George Washington
April 30, 1789
March 4, 1797
No party
John Adams
1
2
2
John Adams
March 4, 1797
March 4, 1801
Federalist
Thomas Jefferson
3
3
100px
Thomas Jefferson
March 4, 1801
March 4, 1809
Democratic-Republican
Aaron Burr
4
George Clinton
5
4
James Madison
March 4, 1809
March 4, 1817
Democratic-Republican
George Clinton [D]
6
vacant
Elbridge Gerry [D]
7
vacant
5
James Monroe
March 4, 1817
March 4, 1825
Democratic-Republican
Daniel D. Tompkins
8
9
6
100px
John Quincy Adams
March 4, 1825
March 4, 1829
Democratic-Republican National Republican
John C. Calhoun
10
7
100px
Andrew Jackson
March 4, 1829
March 4, 1837
Democratic
John C. Calhoun [R]
11
vacant
Martin Van Buren
12
8
Martin Van Buren
March 4, 1837
March 4, 1841
Democratic
Richard Mentor Johnson
13
9
100px
William Henry Harrison
March 4, 1841
April 4, 1841[D]
Whig
John Tyler
14
10
John Tyler
April 4, 1841
March 4, 1845
Whig No party [N]
vacant
11
100px
James K. Polk
March 4, 1845
March 4, 1849
Democratic
George M. Dallas
15
12
100px
Zachary Taylor
March 4, 1849
July 9, 1850[D]
Whig
Millard Fillmore
16
13
Millard Fillmore
July 9, 1850
March 4, 1853
Whig
vacant
14
100px
Franklin Pierce
March 4, 1853
March 4, 1857
Democratic
William R. King [D]
17
vacant
15
James Buchanan
March 4, 1857
March 4, 1861
Democratic
John C. Breckinridge
18
16
Abraham Lincoln
March 4, 1861
April 15, 1865[A]
Republican National Union [U]
Hannibal Hamlin
19
Andrew Johnson
20
17
Andrew Johnson
April 15, 1865
March 4, 1869
Democratic National Union [U]
vacant
18
Ulysses S. Grant
March 4, 1869
March 4, 1877
Republican
Schuyler Colfax
21
Henry Wilson [D]
22
vacant
19
Rutherford B. Hayes
March 4, 1877
March 4, 1881
Republican
William A. Wheeler
23
20
James A. Garfield
March 4, 1881
September 19, 1881[A]
Republican
Chester A. Arthur
24
21
Chester A. Arthur
September 19, 1881
March 4, 1885
Republican
vacant
22
Grover Cleveland
March 4, 1885
March 4, 1889
Democratic
Thomas A. Hendricks [D]
25
vacant
23
Benjamin Harrison
March 4, 1889
March 4, 1893
Republican
Levi P. Morton
26
24
Grover Cleveland (2nd term)
March 4, 1893
March 4, 1897
Democratic
Adlai E. Stevenson I
27
25
William McKinley
March 4, 1897
September 14, 1901[A]
Republican
Garret Hobart [D]
28
vacant
Theodore Roosevelt
29
26
Theodore Roosevelt
September 14, 1901
March 4, 1909
Republican
vacant
Charles W. Fairbanks
30
27
William Howard Taft
March 4, 1909
March 4, 1913
Republican
James S. Sherman [D]
31
vacant
28
Woodrow Wilson
March 4, 1913
March 4, 1921
Democratic
Thomas R. Marshall
32
33
29
Warren G. Harding
March 4, 1921
August 2, 1923[D]
Republican
Calvin Coolidge
34
30
Calvin Coolidge
August 2, 1923
March 4, 1929
Republican
vacant
Charles G. Dawes
35
31
100px
Herbert Hoover
March 4, 1929
March 4, 1933
Republican
Charles Curtis
36
32
100px
Franklin D. Roosevelt
March 4, 1933
April 12, 1945[D]
Democratic
John Nance Garner
37
38
Henry A. Wallace
39
Harry S. Truman
40
33
Harry S. Truman
April 12, 1945
January 20, 1953
Democratic
vacant
Alben W. Barkley
41
34
Dwight D. Eisenhower
January 20, 1953
January 20, 1961
Republican
Richard Nixon
42
43
35
John F. Kennedy
January 20, 1961
November 22, 1963[A]
Democratic
Lyndon B. Johnson
44
36
100px
Lyndon B. Johnson
November 22, 1963
January 20, 1969
Democratic
vacant
Hubert Humphrey
45
37
Richard Nixon
January 20, 1969
August 9, 1974[R]
Republican
Spiro Agnew [R]
46
47
vacant
Gerald Ford
38
100px
Gerald Ford
August 9, 1974
January 20, 1977
Republican
vacant
Nelson Rockefeller
39
100px
Jimmy Carter
January 20, 1977
January 20, 1981
Democratic
Walter Mondale
48
40
100px
Ronald Reagan
January 20, 1981
January 20, 1989
Republican
George H. W. Bush
49
50
41
100px
George H. W. Bush
January 20, 1989
January 20, 1993
Republican
Dan Quayle
51
42
100px
Bill Clinton
January 20, 1993
January 20, 2001
Democratic
Al Gore
52
53
43
George W. Bush
January 20, 2001
Incumbent (Term expires January 20, 2009 )
Republican
Dick Cheney
54
55
Notes
The numerals indicate the consecutive time in office served by a single person. For example, George Washington served two consecutive terms and is counted as the first President (not the first and second). Gerald Ford assumed the Presidency after the resignation of Richard Nixon , serving out the remainder of what would have been Nixon's second term. The fact that Ford was not voted into office does not affect the numbering, which makes him the 38th President.
D Died in office of natural causes.
R Resigned.
A Assassinated.
N Former Democrat who ran for Vice President on Whig ticket. Clashed with Whig congressional leaders and was expelled from the Whig party in 1841.
U Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson were, respectively, a Republican and a Democrat who ran on the National Union ticket in 1864.
See also
References
External links
Links to related articles
Presidents Professional careers Personal life Vice presidents Succession Elections Candidates Families Namesakes, honors In fiction
Template:Link FA