THE GOVERNMENT EXPLORER Sources & coverage

TWO MOMENTS. A DIFFERENT PICTURE.

See what changed.

Compare who held office and the party makeup of Congress on two specific dates.

FIRST DATE

July 1, 2016

Open this government

PRESIDENT

House of Representatives

434 voting members

247 Republican187 Democratic

6 delegates and resident commissioners listed separately; they are not included in the voting-member totals above.

Senate

100 senators

54 Republican44 Democratic2 Independent

SUPREME COURT8 justices in serviceChief Justice: John G. Roberts Jr.

SECOND DATE

March 2, 1817

Open this government

JMPortrait unavailable

PRESIDENT

James Madison

Vice president
No officeholder listed

House of Representatives

209 voting members

136 Republican66 Federalist7 Unspecified

Senate

42 senators

26 Republican15 Federalist1 Democratic Republican

SUPREME COURT7 justices in serviceChief Justice: John Marshall

THE PEOPLE BETWEEN THESE MOMENTS

Familiar faces. Different rosters.

0Listed on both dates

550Listed only on the first date

259Listed only on the second date

These are differences between two snapshots of Congress, the presidency, vice presidency, and Supreme Court. A person can hold a different office on each date. These counts do not measure every transition in between. Cabinet membership is excluded because historical coverage is incomplete.

Only on the first date 550 people

Only on the second date 259 people

Service history is indexed from 1789. Current Congress is checked against both official rosters. Cabinet coverage is a dated current snapshot. See coverage and methodology

Checked Sep 7, 2026

OPENING THE RECORD

See what changed.

July 1, 2016

Barack Obama

House of Representatives

Senate

March 2, 1817

James Madison

House of Representatives

Senate

Familiar faces. Different rosters.

See what changed.

July 1, 2016

Barack Obama

House of Representatives

Senate

March 2, 1817

James Madison

House of Representatives

Senate

Familiar faces. Different rosters.