Gerald Ford
38th president · Republican · August 9, 1974 – January 19, 1977
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. He assumed the presidency after the resignation of Richard Nixon, under whom he served as the 40th vice president from 1973 to 1974 after the resignation of Spiro Agnew. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)
How to read this
Each card takes a series from one of the site’s Presidency, Congress or Supreme Court pages and shows only the time Ford was in office. Monthly figures run from the month of the inauguration to the month the term ended; a fiscal or calendar year counts for the president who held office for most of its days. Cards whose data begins after 1974 say where it starts, and a card with no data for the term is left out.
These are conditions during a presidency, not a scorecard. Congress, the courts, the Federal Reserve, the business cycle and events abroad move every one of these numbers, and many policies take effect years after they are signed, so a change during a term is not a measure of what the president caused.
Who held power
Party control of Congress
Republicans held neither chamber of Congress during the time in office.
- 95th Congress1977House: Dem.292 D · 143 RSenate: Dem.62 D · 38 R
- 94th Congress1975–1977House: Dem.291 D · 144 RSenate: Dem.62 D · 38 R
- 93rd Congress1974–1975House: Dem.243 D · 192 RSenate: Dem.57 D · 43 R
Seats are at the start of each Congress. Democrats and Republicans include the independents who caucused with them.
Data notes
Supreme Court appointments
Gerald Ford appointed one justice: Stevens (1975).
John Stevens · Associate justiceNominated Nov 28, 1975 · confirmed 98–0
Data notes
A justice counts for the president who nominated them (a recess appointment from the day it began, if earlier). An associate justice later made chief by another president, like William Rehnquist, counts as an elevation for the second. Failed and withdrawn nominations are not listed. Dates and Senate votes from the Federal Judicial Center.
Laws and orders
Laws signed
Signed 859 laws, 22 of them major laws. Congress enacted 12 more over a veto.
Laws signed per year in office
By policy area
- Economy, taxes & trade172 (20%)
- Land, water & farming163 (19%)
- Government, justice & rights161 (19%)
- Defense & foreign affairs94 (11%)
- Health, education & culture90 (10%)
- Transport, housing & emergencies67 (8%)
- Commemorations57 (7%)
- Energy & environment55 (6%)
Data notes
Public laws whose enactment date falls in the term, from Congress.gov (93rd Congress, 1973, on; private laws left out), counted through 2026-10-15. A law enacted over a veto is not counted as signed; a bill that became law without a signature is. A bar is one year in office, from the inauguration to the day before its anniversary. Policy areas are the Congressional Research Service’s, grouped as on the Laws page.
View as table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 1974–75 | 353 |
| 1975–76 | 296 |
| 1976–77 | 210 |
Major laws signed
22 of the laws Ford signed are counted as important enactments, newest first, with how each passed the House and Senate.
- Oct 22, 1976National Forest Management Act of 1976Land, water & farmingAmends the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to idenfity and report to Congress annually all lands in the National Forest System which either need to be reforested or are not growing at their best potential rate.HouseMethod not statedSenateMethod not stated
- Oct 21, 1976Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976Energy & environmentAmends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to revise "Title II: Solid Waste Disposal.HouseMethod not statedSenateMethod not stated
- Oct 21, 1976Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976Land, water & farmingDeclares Congressional policy relating to the use and management of public lands.HouseMethod not statedSenateMethod not stated
- Oct 20, 1976Unemployment Compensation Amendments of 1976Economy, taxes & tradeExtends unemployment insurance coverage to specified agricultural workers, and domestic service workers, and workers performing previously excluded service for nonprofit organizations or for State and local governments.House272–97 (272 yea, 97 nay)SenateMethod not stated
- Oct 19, 1976Copyright Act of 1976Economy, taxes & tradeRevises title 17, "Copyrights," of the United States Code.HouseMethod not statedSenate75–0 (75 yea, 0 nay)
- Oct 11, 1976Toxic Substances Control ActEnergy & environmentHouse360–35 (360 yea, 35 nay)Senate73–6 (73 yea, 6 nay)
- Oct 4, 1976Tax Reform Act of 1976Economy, taxes & tradeProvides that this Act may be known as the Tax Reform Act of 1976.House383–26 (383 yea, 26 nay)Senate84–2 (84 yea, 2 nay)
- Feb 5, 1976Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976Transport, housing & emergenciesHouse353–62 (353 yea, 62 nay)Senate58–26 (58 yea, 26 nay)
- Dec 22, 1975Energy Policy and Conservation ActEnergy & environmentHouseMethod not statedSenate58–40 (58 yea, 40 nay)
- Dec 12, 1975Consumer Goods Pricing Act of 1975Economy, taxes & tradeRepeals the provision of the Sherman Antitrust Act which permits contracts or agreements by the producer or distribution of such commodity prescribing minimum prices for the resale of a commodity bearing a trademark or tradename.House380–11 (380 yea, 11 nay)SenateMethod not stated
- Dec 9, 1975New York City Seasonal Financing Act of 1975Economy, taxes & tradeProvides that upon written request of the City of New York or a financing agent thereof (authorized by the State of New York), the Secretary of the Treasury may make loans to the city or such agent subject to this Act.House213–203 (213 yea, 203 nay)Senate57–30 (57 yea, 30 nay)
- Aug 6, 1975Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1975Government, justice & rightsHouseMethod not statedSenate77–12 (77 yea, 12 nay)
- Jun 4, 1975Securities Acts Amendments of 1975Economy, taxes & tradeHouseMethod not statedSenateMethod not stated
- Mar 29, 1975Tax Reduction Act of 1975Economy, taxes & tradeProvides under the Internal Revenue Code that each individual shall be treated as having made a payment against his payable income tax for his first taxable year beginning in 1974 in an amount equal to 10 percent of the amount of his income tax liability for such taxable year.House287–125 (287 yea, 125 nay)Senate45–16 (45 yea, 16 nay)
- Jan 4, 1975National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974Health, education & cultureHouseMethod not statedSenateMethod not stated
- Jan 4, 1975Magnuson-Moss Warranty—Federal Trade Commission Improvement ActEconomy, taxes & tradeProvides that any supplier warranting a consumer product to a consumer in writing shall fully and conspicuously disclose in simple and readily understood language the terms and conditions of such warranty pursuant to any rules issued by the Federal Trade Commission.HouseMethod not statedSenate70–5 (70 yea, 5 nay)
- Jan 3, 1975Trade Act of 1974Economy, taxes & tradeAuthorizes the President for a period of five years to enter into trade agreements with other countries, for the purpose of harmonizing, reducing, or eliminating tariff and nontariff barriers to, and other distortions of, international trade, subject to specified limitations and conditions.House323–36 (323 yea, 36 nay)Senate72–4 (72 yea, 4 nay)
- Nov 26, 1974National Mass Transportation Assistance Act of 1974Transport, housing & emergenciesIncreases, under the Urban Mass Transportation Act, the total amount of obligations which the Secretary of Transportation may incur to finance specified grants and loans to $10,925,000,000.House288–109 (288 yea, 109 nay)Senate64–17 (64 yea, 17 nay)
- Oct 15, 1974Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments of 1974Government, justice & rightsHouse365–24 (365 yea, 24 nay)Senate60–16 (60 yea, 16 nay)
- Oct 11, 1974Energy Reorganization Act of 1974Energy & environmentEstablishes the Energy Research and Development Administration headed by an Administrator appointed by the President.House372–1 (372 yea, 1 nay)SenateMethod not stated
- Sep 2, 1974Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974Economy, taxes & tradeHouse407–2 (407 yea, 2 nay)Senate85–0 (85 yea, 0 nay)
- Aug 22, 1974Housing and Community Development Act of 1974Transport, housing & emergenciesAuthorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants to States and Units of general local government to help finance Community Development Programs.House377–21 (377 yea, 21 nay)Senate84–0 (84 yea, 0 nay)
Data notes
Laws counted as important enactments, the same list the Laws page uses for its “Major law” badge, which explains where it comes from. The list does not yet cover a Congress still in session. Each summary is the first sentence of the Congressional Research Service summary, where one stands alone; votes are each chamber’s final-passage tally, or how it passed without a recorded vote.
Economy
Misery index
The misery index (unemployment plus inflation) was 16.4 in August 1974 and 12.7 in January 1977, with a high of 19.9 in January 1975.
Misery index
Unemployment and inflation
Data notes
The misery index adds the unemployment rate to inflation (consumer prices, change from a year earlier) for the same month. Unemployment is the BLS rate, seasonally adjusted, from 1948; inflation is from the consumer price index, from 1948. The first reading is the month the president took office, the last the month the term ended. Both are national averages and are revised.
View as table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Aug 1974 | 16.4 |
| Sep 1974 | 17.8 |
| Oct 1974 | 17.8 |
| Nov 1974 | 18.8 |
| Dec 1974 | 19.3 |
| Jan 1975 | 19.9 |
| Feb 1975 | 19.3 |
| Mar 1975 | 19.1 |
| Apr 1975 | 19 |
| May 1975 | 18.3 |
| Jun 1975 | 18 |
| Jul 1975 | 18.1 |
| Aug 1975 | 17 |
| Sep 1975 | 16.3 |
| Oct 1975 | 16 |
| Nov 1975 | 15.7 |
| Dec 1975 | 15.3 |
| Jan 1976 | 14.6 |
| Feb 1976 | 14 |
| Mar 1976 | 13.7 |
| Apr 1976 | 13.5 |
| May 1976 | 13.6 |
| Jun 1976 | 13.6 |
| Jul 1976 | 13.4 |
| Aug 1976 | 13.5 |
| Sep 1976 | 13.1 |
| Oct 1976 | 13.2 |
| Nov 1976 | 12.9 |
| Dec 1976 | 12.8 |
| Jan 1977 | 12.7 |
| Period | Unemployment rate | Inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 1974 | 5.5% | 10.9% |
| Sep 1974 | 5.9% | 11.9% |
| Oct 1974 | 6% | 11.8% |
| Nov 1974 | 6.6% | 12.2% |
| Dec 1974 | 7.2% | 12.1% |
| Jan 1975 | 8.1% | 11.8% |
| Feb 1975 | 8.1% | 11.2% |
| Mar 1975 | 8.6% | 10.5% |
| Apr 1975 | 8.8% | 10.2% |
| May 1975 | 9% | 9.3% |
| Jun 1975 | 8.8% | 9.2% |
| Jul 1975 | 8.6% | 9.5% |
| Aug 1975 | 8.4% | 8.6% |
| Sep 1975 | 8.4% | 7.9% |
| Oct 1975 | 8.4% | 7.6% |
| Nov 1975 | 8.3% | 7.4% |
| Dec 1975 | 8.2% | 7.1% |
| Jan 1976 | 7.9% | 6.7% |
| Feb 1976 | 7.7% | 6.3% |
| Mar 1976 | 7.6% | 6.1% |
| Apr 1976 | 7.7% | 5.8% |
| May 1976 | 7.4% | 6.2% |
| Jun 1976 | 7.6% | 6% |
| Jul 1976 | 7.8% | 5.6% |
| Aug 1976 | 7.8% | 5.7% |
| Sep 1976 | 7.6% | 5.5% |
| Oct 1976 | 7.7% | 5.5% |
| Nov 1976 | 7.8% | 5.1% |
| Dec 1976 | 7.8% | 5% |
| Jan 1977 | 7.5% | 5.2% |
Federal deficit and debt
The federal budget balance, as a share of GDP, was −3.2% in FY1975 and −3.9% in FY1976.
Budget balance, % of GDP
Public debt, % of GDP
Data notes
The budget balance is the federal surplus (above zero) or deficit (below) as a share of GDP, by fiscal year (July to June through 1976, October to September since); a year counts for the president in office for most of it, though its budget was usually passed the year before. Debt is total public debt as a share of GDP, quarterly from 1966, including debt the government holds in its own trust funds.
View as table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| FY1975 | −3.2% |
| FY1976 | −3.9% |
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Q3 1974 | 30.9% |
| Q4 1974 | 30.8% |
| Q1 1975 | 31.5% |
| Q2 1975 | 32.3% |
| Q3 1975 | 32.4% |
| Q4 1975 | 32.7% |
| Q1 1976 | 33% |
| Q2 1976 | 33.5% |
| Q3 1976 | 33.6% |
| Q4 1976 | 33.8% |
| Q1 1977 | 33.7% |
Security and energy
Troops abroad
Troops stationed abroad numbered 469k in September 1974 and 397k in September 1976. Germany hosted the most in 3 of those years.
Active-duty troops abroad
Data notes
Active-duty U.S. military personnel stationed outside the United States and its territories (afloat and unassigned included where the source reports them), one snapshot a year (September; June for 1953–56), from the Defense Manpower Data Center’s tables and, for years it did not publish, troopdata. The year in progress shows its latest quarter, hatched. From December 2017 DMDC counts permanent assignments only, so later figures leave out most deployed forces.
View as table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Sep 1974 | 469,246 |
| Sep 1975 | 455,507 |
| Sep 1976 | 396,900 |
Source: the site’s Presidency, Congress and Supreme Court data, each named in its card’s Data notes; party control of Congress from the House and Senate historians; appointments from the Federal Judicial Center. Portrait: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Built October 19, 2026.