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Making Deviation Standard

andrew and khalid at a tableAndrew and Khalid are learning about the presidents of the United States and their major accomplishments. In their research, the boys discover President Lincoln dedicated much of his presidency to keeping the United States unified and to abolishing slavery. He succeeded in both, preserving the union by being an unfaltering commander in chief during the Civil War and getting Congress to pass the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery.

image of president william harrison
President William Harrison

Let’s take a look at this situation:

Khalid found out that President Lincoln’s presidency consisted of one full four-year term, and a second term that lasted only 42 days. Upon further research, he discovered the shortest serving president was President William Harrison, who served only 31 days.

Andrew begins to wonder more about the lengths of each presidency. If President Harrison's term was the shortest, who held the longest term? Together, Andrew and Khalid create the following table using data up to 2014.


President

Number of Terms in Office

Number of Years Served

Number of Days Served

1. G. Washington

2

6.34

2865

2. J. Adams

1

4

1460

3. T. Jefferson

2

8

2922

4. J. Madison

2

8

2922

5. J. Monroe

2

8

2922

6. J. Q. Adams

1

4

1461

7. A. Jackson

2

8

2922

8. M. Van Buren

1

4

1461

9. W. H. Harrison

1

0.08

31

10. J. Tyler

1

3.92

1430

11. J. Polk

1

4

1461

12. Z. Taylor

1

1.33

491

13. M. Fillmore

1

2.67

969

14. F. Pierce

1

4

1461

15. J. Buchanan

1

4

1461

16. A. Lincoln

2

4.11

1503

17. A. Johnson

1

3.86

1419

18. U. Grant

2

8

2922

19. R. Hayes

1

4

1461

20. J. Garfield

1

0.54

199

21. C. Arthur

1

3.46

1262

22. G. Cleveland

1

4

1461

23. B. Harrison

1

4

1461

24. G. Cleveland

1

4

1461

25. W. McKinley

2

4.5

1654

26. T. Roosevelt

2

7.5

2728

27. W. H. Taft

1

4

1461

28. W. Wilson

2

8

2922

29. W. Harding

1

2.42

881

30. C. Coolidge

2

5.58

2041

31. H. Hoover

1

4

1461

32. F. D. Roosevelt

4

12.08

4422

33. H. Truman

2

7.75

2840

34. D. Eisenhower

2

8

2922

35. J. F. Kennedy

1

2.83

1036

36. L. Johnson

2

5.17

1886

37. R. Nixon

2

5.5

2027

38. G. Ford

1

2.42

895

39. J. Carter

1

4

1461

40. R. Reagan

2

8

2922

41. G. H. Bush

1

4

1461

42. W. Clinton

2

8

2922

43. G. W. Bush

2

8

2922

44. B. Obama

2

(still completing term in 2014)

(still completing term in 2014)

Check Your Understanding

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