Trifectas are an interesting feature of bicameral Presidential systems. In theory they allow a President to pass a lot of legislation quickly, depending on the power of the President. They are a demonstration of the political skill of both the President and their party, allowing rapid changes of the country with minimal opposition.
The Republican Party was formed in 1854 following the Kansas-Nebraska Act as a result of the dissolution of the Whig Party. The Whigs had been relatively anti-slavery and had most of their strength in the North. They formed only one trifecta in history, in 1841 under Presidents William Henry Harrison and John Tyler. Despite the Whig Party being the relatively anti-slavery party, John Tyler supported slavery and is regarded as one of the worst presidents in American history. He lost congress in the midterms and didn’t even get the nomination from his party in 1844. He was a failure.
The Whig Party never regained a trifecta again, dissolving in 1854.
The Republican Party controlled a trifecta from 1863-1867, during the Civil War when the Confederacy was out of congress. This allowed President Lincoln to lead America to victory.
Andrew Johnson despite being Lincoln’s Vice President turned out to be a Democrat, but Republicans maintained control of congress until 1875. During this era they were able to pass laws around Reconstruction. President Grant was the first Republican to win a majority of the popular vote twice.
There was a brief Republican trifecta in 1889 under President Benjamin Harrison, which passed some important civil rights, anti-trust, and civil service reform legislation.
Republicans maintained a trifecta from 1897 to 1911, as part of President McKinley’s political machine. He was an incredibly popular president, leading America into the Spanish-American War and passing tariffs to protect big business. While President Harrison focused on pulling in monopolies, McKinley set them free. He made speeches about civil rights, but didn’t do much to alleviate the suffering of African Americans in the South. The focus was on protecting American businesses from foreign competition. McKinley is the most important President we hardly ever talk about. Theodore Roosevelt focused on trust-busting like Benjamin Harrison, and then Taft turned the party back to the right in McKinley’s image.
Republicans had a trifecta from 1921 until the Great Depression. This is the last time the Republicans managed to hold onto a trifecta for more than a single term. This firmly established the Republican Party as the party of big business.
President Eisenhower had a trifecta for his first two years, focusing on anti-Communist legislation and spurring the growth of small businesses. Eisenhower was the last Republican to win a majority of the popular vote twice and have a trifecta.
President Bush had a trifecta from 2003-2007. He had the slimmest possible trifecta for part of the time in 2001 and 2002. He focused on reducing civil liberties, tax cuts for the rich, visa restrictions, restricting abortion, and other conservative measures.
Trump has had two trifectas so far, at the beginning of each of his terms. The only major bill he passed in his first trifecta was a tax cut for the rich. The current trifecta is so new it remains to be seen what will actually pass through his narrow majorities.
By studying trifectas we are able to see the evolution of the Republican Party from an anti-slavery unionist party to a socially conservative economic nationalist party. William McKinley is particularly responsible for the shift to big business, while George W. Bush is very responsible for their hard turn to the right on social issues.
How the mighty have fallen.