John Dingell Jr. was the longest-serving member of the House

Robert Byrd was the Senate's longest-serving member

This list shows the 25 longest-serving members of the United States Senate. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia holds the record, having served more than 51 years in the Senate.

Most US House seats stay with the same party for decades

An analysis by the Pew Research Center shows that since the 1920s, the vast majority of House districts have been consistently won by the same party, with only a small share regularly changing hands. This highlights the large advantage incumbents have in House elections.

Congressional turnover was far more common in the early republic

Many early lawmakers served just one or two terms before stepping aside, reflecting the ideal of the citizen legislator and the discomforts of living in Washington, DC. Longer careers in Congress became typical only later in the 19th century.

Members of the United States Congress earn $174,000 annually

Members of the United States Congress have received the same pay since 2009. Leadership roles are more lucrative, and lawmakers become eligible for a federal pension after five years, with benefits tied to the length of service and salary.

16 states impose term limits on their legislatures

As of 2025, 16 states limit how long lawmakers can serve, usually capping tenure at eight to 12 years in one chamber or across both chambers combined. Most of these limits stem from a 1990s reform wave aimed at curbing career politicians.

McCarthy set a modern record with 15 ballots to become House speaker

In January 2023, Kevin McCarthy was elected speaker of the United States House of Representatives on the 15th ballot. This required more rounds than any speaker election since before the Civil War and marking the longest multiballot speakership contest in modern history.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only president to serve more than 2 terms

Franklin D. Roosevelt broke with precedent by winning four consecutive presidential elections. Serving from 1933 until his death in 1945, he remains the only US president to hold office for more than two terms.

Why Congress doesn't have term limits

Eighty-seven percent of Americans want term limits for Congress. So why don't they exist? The Founders debated this in 1787 and chose not to include them, believing elections would be enough. In the 1990s, 23 states tried to make it happen—until the Supreme Court struck them all down in a 5-4 decision.

A vast majority of Americans support term limits for Congress

In a 2023 poll, 87% of respondents said they supported imposing term limits on members of Congress. The overwhelming bipartisan backing makes term limits one of the most consistently popular political reforms in the United States.

Use this interactive tool to see how long Americans have tended to remain at the same job for in various decades.

The congressman who spied for Russia

Sam Dickstein remains the only known member to have served in Congress while actively being on the payroll of a foreign adversary. The revelation came in 1999 upon the release of thousands of KGB documents.

Term limits for Congress face a steep constitutional hurdle

Although polls show overwhelming support for congressional term limits, this would require a constitutional amendment. Since 1995, the Supreme Court has barred states from imposing their own limits, leaving only the difficult Article V amendment process as a path forward.

37 states today limit how long governors can serve

Most states cap governors to two consecutive four-year terms, though rules vary—Virginia is unique in allowing only one term at a time. These limits reflect a long tradition of restricting executive power at the state level.

See the presidents with the most vetoes

Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a record 635 vetoes—more than twice as many as any other president. Other frequent users include Grover Cleveland (584), Harry Truman (250), and Dwight Eisenhower (181), reflecting long tenures, divided government, high legislative output, and assertive executive leadership.

Most Americans support age limits for justices, elected officials

As members of Congress and Supreme Court justices continue to serve at an average age far older than in the past, polls show a majority of Americans favor setting an age limit for these roles. Roughly 79% support caps for federal elected officials, and 74% favor such limits for Supreme Court justices. A constitutional amendment would be required.

See the day in the life of a lawmaker

This video tracks Mark Alford, who has represented Missouri's 4th district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023, offering a firsthand look at the pace, travel, and daily demands of congressional life.

The 22nd Amendment set a 2-term limit on the presidency

Ratified in 1951, the amendment states that no person may be elected president more than twice. It also specifies that a vice president who assumes office midterm may serve up to 10 years in total.

Gerald Ford is the only president never elected to the office

Ford's ascent to the nation's highest office was a direct consequence of the unprecedented political upheaval caused by the Watergate scandal. Initially appointed vice president in October 1973 after Spiro Agnew's resignation, Ford assumed the presidency less than a year later, in August 1974, following Richard Nixon's resignation.

The namesake of gerrymandering was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence

Elbridge Gerry, a Massachusetts statesman and vice president under James Madison, signed the Declaration of Independence. He is also the only signer buried in Washington, DC, interred at Congressional Cemetery.

See every company in and out of the Dow since 1928

The index has had 30 companies since 1928. See each company’s tenure on the index and what firms were added or replaced by year and industry.

The Founders were split on term limits during the Constitutional Convention

At the Constitutional Convention, delegates debated whether to mandate term limits. In letters, Jefferson warned that indefinite service could entrench power, while Madison argued that regular elections—not forced turnover—were the best safeguard against abuse.

Breaking down the House races

All 435 voting seats in the US House are up for election, but less than 10% of them are competitive. See a breakdown of the races and which way they are leaning here.

This is the longest the US has gone without a minimum wage increase since 1938

The US government hasn’t increased the federal minimum wage in more than a decade. Some people argue it's wrong that Congress needs to debate whether or not to raise the minimum wage—and that perhaps these raises should be tied to inflation.

George Washington resigned after two terms to avoid the precedent of dying in office

America's first president could have stayed in office longer, but he knew the chances were high he would die in the middle of a term. So he quit after two to signal to future commander-in-chiefs that the presidency was not a lifetime position.

The census reshapes House representation every 10 years

Conducted once every 10 years, the US Census determines how House seats are reapportioned among the states. The 2020 results shifted representation as state population growth and decline altered the geographic balance of political power.

Congress plays baseball together in a bipartisan charity game dating back to 1909

First organized in 1909 by Rep. John Tener, a former pro baseball player, the Congressional Baseball Game pits Democrats against Republicans to raise money for charity—and offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at lawmakers mixing rivalry with camaraderie.

See the most oddly gerrymandered districts in the US

Based on input from redistricting experts and political scientists, this resource identifies and ranks the most extreme congressional gerrymanders of the 2020s, examining how map design, cracking, and packing reduce competition and distort representation across states.

Eleanor Roosevelt transformed the role of the first lady of the United States.

The US president who had the most children

John Tyler, America’s 10th president, was born in 1790, yet still has one living grandchild. This bizarre phenomenon can be explained by his 15 children, which he had throughout all stages of his adult life. Tyler had eight children with one wife and seven with another, leading him to hold the title as the US president with the most children. Tyler was also the first US president to get married while in office.

State supreme court justices almost never serve for life

Unlike US Supreme Court justices, 99% of state supreme court justices face term limits, reselection, or mandatory retirement ages. Since 1970, they've averaged 13 years on the bench—half the tenure of their federal counterparts.

The US and Denmark are the only two countries known to abide by a predetermined borrowing limit.

Visualize every time Congress has mentioned the word 'democracy' since 1880, and why

This Pudding interactive analyzes every mention of "democracy" in the Congressional Record over 145 years, charting how the word shifted from a partisan label to a concept, and tracking when lawmakers warned the system itself was under threat.

The 22nd Amendment was a reaction to Roosevelt's four terms

After Franklin D. Roosevelt won four elections, Congress moved to prevent future presidents from holding power indefinitely. Ratified in 1951, the 22nd Amendment set a firm two-term limit as a safeguard against extended presidencies.

States are constitutionally mandated to draw their own congressional districts

Under Article I, Section 4 of the US Constitution, state legislatures possess the authority to determine how congressional districts are drawn. However, Congress retains the power to alter these rules if it chooses to.

Research shows that termed-out lawmakers become less active

A University of Chicago and Stanford study found that state legislators barred from reelection sponsor fewer bills, serve on fewer committees, and skip more votes. The research suggests lawmakers are more productive when future elections remain possible.

All US presidents, by generation

Every president is a member of a generation, and Baby Boomers have held the Oval Office since 1992 (with the exception of Joe Biden, of the Silent Generation). But what about in the early days? Turns out the generation with the most presidents is the Transcendental Generation (born between 1792-1821), which includes Abraham Lincoln. Check out the full list (and what are most likely very new generational terms) with this fun overview.

Baseball legend Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak, which ended at 56, cost him a sponsorship deal with Heinz.

Mid-decade redistricting is historically rare in modern US history

States have generally redrawn districts only once per decade following the census, with mid-decade redistricting occurring infrequently and usually prompted by court orders or unusual political circumstances.

Congress descended into fistfights, duels, and violence before the Civil War

In the decades before the Civil War, members of the United States Congress carried weapons, assaulted colleagues, and, in one case, a congressman killed another in a duel. The violence was driven largely by sectional conflict over slavery and foreshadowed the nation's descent into war.

See the list of monarchs who have addressed a joint session of the US Congress

Only 11 monarchs have ever addressed a joint meeting of Congress, beginning with Hawaii's King Kalakaua in 1874. King Charles III of the United Kingdom became the most recent in April 2026.

The Dow now tracks 30 major US companies across various industries

Since 1928, the DJIA has included 30 firms. Today's group spans technology, healthcare, and finance—with Apple, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, Pfizer, and Coca-Cola among its most recognized components.

Redistricting reshapes political boundaries, usually once a decade after the census

Every 10 years, states redraw congressional and legislative districts based on census data to ensure equal population. Legislatures usually control the process, though some states use independent commissions to curb partisan influence.

Supreme Court justices serve for life

The Constitution grants Supreme Court justices lifetime appointments to shield them from electoral politics and outside pressure, a design meant to preserve judicial independence but now widely debated due to longer lifespans and partisan balances of the court.

Long after his death, Washington was made the highest-ranking military figure in US history

Only three Americans have held the rank of General of the Armies: John J. Pershing, Ulysses S. Grant, and Washington. However, Washington still outranks the others because Congress passed a 1976 law stating that he outranks all officers "past or present."

Nixon's landslide in the 1972 presidential election

Despite the Watergate break-in becoming public in June 1972, voters largely shrugged it off. On Nov. 7, 1972, Richard Nixon still achieved a historic landslide—winning 520 out of 538 electoral votes, carrying 49 states—making it one of the largest Electoral College victories in US history.

Republicans launched a mid-decade redistricting push in 2025

Beginning in Texas, Republican-controlled legislatures in Missouri, Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina moved to redraw maps before 2030—an uncommon mid-decade effort aimed at securing additional congressional seats.

Watch a freshman lawmaker navigate his first days in Congress

This video follows Denver Riggleman during his transition to Capitol Hill in 2019, capturing the disorder, pressure, and unpredictability of becoming a member of the United States House of Representatives amid shutdowns and political attacks.

Early state constitutions often limited governors to short terms

In the years after independence, many states drafted constitutions to limit executive power. Most governors served only one- or two-year terms, sometimes with breaks before reelection.

In 45 states, governors are allowed to appoint a senator in the event of a vacancy.

The oldest restaurants in the US

This list features several establishments that have been around since before the Declaration of Independence, including the White Horse Tavern, in Newport, Rhode Island, and New York's Fraunces Tavern, where George Washington dismissed his troops at the end of the Revolutionary War.