Presidents Don’t Pardon Like They Used To.
Misha Vaid
April 17th 2022
The president’s power to grant pardons or reprieves is quietly one of the broadest powers granted to the
Executive in the constitution. The power has very few limitations.
One such limitation is that pardons can only be granted for Federal Crimes. The President also cannot grant
pardons cases of impeachment. And lastly, the President can pardon before prosecution and trial, but the
President can’t pardon future crimes that have not yet been committed.
President Joe Biden has not pardoned a single person yet. This trend has pretty much been the norm early-
on in the Presidency for the past 30 years. But have presidents always been so hesitant to use this sweeping
power?
450
Pardons granted by
the sitting president
President Roosevelt issued 424 pardons in
1944. He issued far more pardons than any
other president, and he also served as
president longer than anyone else.
400
350
Over the past three decades
presidents have been
hesitant to use their power
of clemency early on in their
presidency. But the overall
trend shows that Presidents
are pardoning fewer people.
300
250
200
150
100
50
Year
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
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2000
2010
2020
1900