The Ever Shortening Cycle of Control of the House

The Democratic Party exercised uninterrupted control of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1954 to 1994, an extraordinary 40 years. Control partially reflected the slow decay of the Roosevelt political legacy of 1932. It was finally ended by the Republican takeover in 1994, led by Newt Gingrich, who became the Speaker. 

Since 1994, however, the average length of a party’s control has been only about 8 years. Democrats came back to power 12 years later in 2006 during George W. Bush’s second term, making Nancy Pelosi the new Speaker, but she only held it 4 years until 2010 when Republican John Boehner became the Speaker. Since that first 12-year cycle, the turnover has been quick, with Pelosi out in 2010, but back in 2018 and possibly out in 2022.

The faster cycle reflects the polarization of politics and the nationalization of elections from presidents down to Congress. Expect it to continue.