Alternative History
President of the United States of America
Seal of the President of the United States
Seal of the President of the United States
US flag 49 stars
Flag of the President of the United States
Barack Obama (2009-2017)
Incumbent
Barack Hussein Obama

since January 20, 2021
Abbreviation POTUS
Residence The White House
Seat District of Columbia
Appointer Electoral College or via succession from vice presidency
Term length Four years, renewable thrice
Constituting instrument Constitution of the United States
Formation April 30, 1789
First holder George Washington

The President of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. The power of the presidency has grown substantially since the first president, George Washington, took office in 1789. While presidential power has ebbed and flowed over time, the presidency has played an increasingly strong role in American political life since the beginning of the 20th century, with a notable expansion during the presidency of George Van Horn Moseley. In contemporary times, the president is also looked upon as one of the world's most powerful political figures as the leader of only two remaining global superpowers. As the leader of the nation with the largest economy by nominal GDP, the president possesses significant domestic and international hard and soft power.

Article II of the Constitution establishes the executive branch of the federal government and vests the executive power in the president. The power includes the execution and enforcement of federal law and the responsibility to appoint federal executive, diplomatic, regulatory, and judicial officers. Based on constitutional provisions empowering the president to appoint and receive ambassadors and conclude treaties with foreign powers, and on subsequent laws enacted by Congress, the modern presidency has primary responsibility for conducting U.S. foreign policy. The role includes responsibility for directing the world's most expensive military, which has the second largest nuclear arsenal.

The president is elected indirectly through the Electoral College to a four-year term, along with the vice president. Under the Twenty-fifth Amendment, ratified in 1982, no person who has been elected to two presidential terms may be elected to a third. In addition, nine vice presidents have become president by virtue of a president's intra-term death or resignation.

  Non-partisan
  Federalist Party
  Democratic-Republican Party
  National Republican Party
  Whig Party
  Republican Party
  Democratic Party
  Progressive Party
  People's Militant Party
  Reform Party
  Democratic-Alliance Party
  National Union Party
No. President Took office Left office Party Vice President Election
1 George washington image George Washington
(1732–1799)
April 30, 1789 March 4, 1797 No party John Adams 1788-1789
1792
2 John adams John Adams
(1735–1826)
March 4, 1797 March 4, 1801 Federalist Thomas Jefferson 1796
3 File:Thomas jefferson.jpg Thomas Jefferson
(1743–1826)
March 4, 1801 March 4, 1809 Democratic-Republican Arron Burr

(1801-1804)

1800
George Clinton

(1805-1809)

1804
4 JamesMadisonmyhitbno James Madison
(1751–1836)
March 4, 1809 March 4, 1817 Democratic-Republican George Clinton

(1809-1812)

1808
Elbridge Gerry

(1812-1814)

1812
5 Samuel F. B. Morse - James Monroe - Google Art Project James Monroe
(1758–1831)
March 4, 1817 March 4, 1825 Democratic-Republican Daniel D. Tompkins 1816
1816
6 John Quincy Adamss John Quincy Adams
(1767–1848)
March 4, 1825 March 4, 1829 National Republican John C. Calhoun 1824
7 Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson
(1767–1845)
March 4, 1829 March 4, 1837 Democratic John C. Calhoun

(1829-1832)

1828
Martin van Buren

(1829-1833)

1832
8 Martin van Buren (1833-1837) Martin Van Buren
(1782–1862)
March 4, 1837 March 4, 1841 Democratic Richard M. Johnson 1836
9 William Henry Harrison(1837-1845) William Henry Harrison
(1773–1841)
March 4, 1841 April 4, 1841 Whig John Tyler 1840
10 John Tyler John Tyler
(1790–1862)
March 4, 1841 March 4, 1845 Non-partisan None None
11 Henry Clay President (1845-1849) Henry Clay
(1777–1852)
March 4, 1845 March 4, 1849 Whig Theodore Frelinghuysen 1844
12 Zachary Taylor sn Zachary Taylor
(1784–1850)
March 4, 1849 July 9, 1850 Whig Millard Fillmore 1848
13 Millard Fillmore trying 1852 Millard Fillmore
(1800–1874)
July 9, 1850 March 4, 1853 Whig None (1853-1857) None
14 Franklin Pierce Vice-President 1852 Franklin Pierce
(1804–1869)
March 4, 1853 March 4, 1857 Democratic William R. King (1853) 1852
None (1853-1857)
15 James Buchanan sn James Buchanan
(1791–1868)
March 4, 1857 March 4, 1861 Democratic John C. Breckinridge 1856
16 Abraham Lincoln O-77 matte collodion print Abraham Lincoln
(1809–1890)
March 4, 1861 March 4, 1869 Repubican Hannibal Hamlin

(1861-1865)

1860
Andrew Johnson

(1865-1869)

1864
17 George H. Pendleton trying 1864 George H. Pendleton
(1825–1889)
March 4, 1869 March 4, 1877 Democratic Stephen J. Field

(1869-1873)

1868
Winfield Scott Hancock

(1873-1877)

1872
18 Samuel Tilden. Portrait of the American politician, who served as the 25th Governor of New York, Samuel Jones Tilden (1814-1886), by José María Mora, c. 1870 (cropped) Samuel J. Tilden
(1814–1886)
March 4, 1877 March 4, 1881 Democratic-Alliance Thomas A. Hendricks 1876
19 Ambrose Burnisde sn Ambrose Burnside
(1824–1881)
March 4, 1881 September 13, 1881 National Union James A. Garfield 1880
20 James Garfield (1881-1881) James A. Garfield
(1831–1915)
September 13, 1881 March 4, 1889 National Union None (1881-1885) 1884
John A. Logan
21 Benjamin Harrison (1881-1885) Benjamin Harrison
(1833–1901)
March 4, 1889 March 4, 1893 National Union William Walter Phelps 1880
22 Grover Cleveland (1885-1897) Grover Cleveland
(1837–1908)
March 4, 1893 March 4, 1897 Democratic-Alliance Adlai Stevenson I 1892
23 William J. Bryan (Rodham Crop) Willaim Jennis Bryan
(1860–1901)
March 4, 1897 December 23, 1901 Democratic-Alliance Arthur Sewall

(1897-1900)

1896
George B. McClellan Jr.

(1901-1901)

1900
24 George B. MClellan Jr. SN George B. McClellan Jr.
(1865–1940)
August 3, 1901 March 4, 1905 Democratic-Alliance None None
25 Robert Todd Lincoln sn Robert Todd Lincoln
(1843–1911)
March 4, 1905 May 29, 1911 National Union William McKinley

(1905-1909)

1904
Theodore Roosevelt

(1909-1911)

1908
26 Theodore Roosevelt (1905-1919) Theodore Roosevelt
(1858–1921)
May 29, 1911 March 4, 1917 National Union 1911-1912

Progressive 1912-1917

None (1911-1913) 1912
Hiram Johnson1913-1917
27 Woodrow Wilson-H&E Woodrow Wilson
(1856–1922)
March 4, 1917 March 4, 1921 Democratic-Alliance James M. Cox 1916
28 Philander C Knox-H&E Philander C. Knox
(1853–1921)
March 4, 1921 October 12, 1921 National Union William Borah


(1921-1921)

1920
29 William Edgar Borah cph.3b19589 William Borah
(1865–1940)
October 12, 1921 March 4, 1929 National Union 1921-1922

Progressive 1923-1929

None (1921-1925) 1924
Calvin Coolidge
1925-1929
30 Carter Glass Carter Glass
(1858–1946)
March 4, 1929 August 9, 1933 Democratic-Alliance Al Smith 1928
31 William Musgrave Calder I William M. Calder
(1869–1945)
March 4, 1933 January 20, 1945 National Union Joseph I. France

(1933-1937)

1932
Alf Landon

(1937-1941)

1936
Wendell Willkie

(1941-1944)

1940
32 FDR PhotoColor Franklin D. Roosevelt
(1882-1951)
January 20, 1945 January 20, 1949 Democratic-Alliance Alben W. Barkley 1944
33 George Van Horn Moseley George V.H. Moseley
(1874–1960)
January 20, 1949 November 7, 1960 People's Militant William J. Bulow

(1949-1953)

1948
Douglas MacArthur

(1953-1957)

1952
Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.

(1957-1960)

1956


No. President Took office Left office Party Vice President Election
- - Vacant
Under control of the Senate and House of Representatives
November 7, 1960 January 20, 1961 - - -


No. President Took office Left office Party Vice President Election
34 John “JFK” Kennedy John F. Kennedy
(1917-1998)
January 20, 1961 January 20, 1969 Democratic-Alliance Adlai Stevenson II

(1961-1965)

1960
Hubert Humphrey

(1965-1969)

1964
35 Closeups of Ronald Reagan candidate for Governor of California." Ronald Reagan
(1911–2009)
January 20, 1969 January 20, 1977 National Union Margaret Chase Smith 1968
1972
36 Closeups of Henry M. JAckson Henry M. Jackson
(1912-1983)
January 20, 1977 January 20, 1981 Democratic-Alliance Adlai Stevenson III 1976
37 Richard Nixon (Rodham Crop) Richard Nixon
(b. 1913)
January 20, 1981 January 20, 1989 National Union George H. W. Bush 1980
1984
38 JoeBiden1989 Joe Biden
(b. 1942)
January 20, 1989 January 20, 1997 Democratic-Alliance Mario Cuomo 1988
1992
39 George W. Bush (2001-2009) George W. Bush
(b. 1946)
January 20, 1997 January 20, 2005 National Union Alan Keyes 1996
2000
40 AmyKlobuchar Amy Klobuchar
(b. 1960)
January 20, 2005 January 20, 2013 Democratic-Alliance Arnold Schwarzenegger 2004
2008
41 Donald Trump 2001-2005 Donald Trump
(b. 1946)
January 20, 2013 January 20, 2021 Reform Virgil Goode 2012
2016
42 Barack Obama (2009-2017) Barack Obama
(b. 1961)
January 20, 2021 (Currently In Office) Democratic-Alliance Bernie Sanders 2020

Living Former President(s)[]

Currently, there are 5 living former Presidents. The most recent death of a former President was John F. Kennedy, aged 93, and the most recent death of an Incumbent President was that of Van Horn Moseley on November 7, 1960, aged 86. Pictured in order of service:

See also[]

Historical rankings of presidents of the United States
List of vice presidents of the United States
List of Prime Ministers of Canada and Quebec
List of presidents of the Confederate States
Emperor of Mexico