Who has held the presidency?
Every president since Harry S. Truman, newest first. Each page takes the site’s data on the economy, immigration, trade, foreign aid, troops abroad, energy, laws, executive orders, the Supreme Court and Congress, and shows only that president’s time in office.
How to read this
Laws signed are public laws enacted during the term and not over a veto, from 1973 on; executive orders are counted from the Federal Register’s electronic record, which begins in 1994. Where a count starts partway through a presidency it says so; before that it shows a dash. Justices appointed counts the president’s nominees who joined the Court.
Counts are not grades. How many laws a president signs depends on Congress, and one executive order can do far more than another.
Joe Biden46th · Democrat2021–2025 · 4 years2021–20254 yearsLaws signed636Executive orders162Justices1
Donald Trump45th & 47th · Republican2017–2021, 2025– · 5 years, 8 months2017–2021, 2025–5 years, 8 monthsLaws signed909Executive orders509Justices3
Barack Obama44th · Democrat2009–2017 · 8 years2009–20178 yearsLaws signed1,289Executive orders276Justices2
George W. Bush43rd · Republican2001–2009 · 8 years2001–20098 yearsLaws signed1,814Executive orders291Justices2
Bill Clinton42nd · Democrat1993–2001 · 8 years1993–20018 yearsLaws signed1,768Executive orders307from 1994Justices2
George H. W. Bush41st · Republican1989–1993 · 4 years1989–19934 yearsLaws signed1,241Executive orders—data from 1994Justices2
Ronald Reagan40th · Republican1981–1989 · 8 years1981–19898 yearsLaws signed2,464Executive orders—data from 1994Justices3
Jimmy Carter39th · Democrat1977–1981 · 4 years1977–19814 yearsLaws signed1,243Executive orders—data from 1994Justices0
Gerald Ford38th · Republican1974–1977 · 2 years, 5 months1974–19772 years, 5 monthsLaws signed859Executive orders—data from 1994Justices1
Richard Nixon37th · Republican1969–1974 · 5 years, 6 months1969–19745 years, 6 monthsLaws signed368from 1973Executive orders—data from 1994Justices4
Lyndon B. Johnson36th · Democrat1963–1969 · 5 years, 1 month1963–19695 years, 1 monthLaws signed—data from 1973Executive orders—data from 1994Justices2
John F. Kennedy35th · Democrat1961–1963 · 2 years, 10 months1961–19632 years, 10 monthsLaws signed—data from 1973Executive orders—data from 1994Justices2
Dwight D. Eisenhower34th · Republican1953–1961 · 8 years1953–19618 yearsLaws signed—data from 1973Executive orders—data from 1994Justices5
Harry S. Truman33rd · Democrat1945–1953 · 7 years, 9 months1945–19537 years, 9 monthsLaws signed—data from 1973Executive orders—data from 1994Justices4
Source: laws from Congress.gov; executive orders from the Federal Register; appointments from the Federal Judicial Center. Portraits: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.