This graphic tracks America’s, Russia’s, and China’s government leaders since 1975 using data from Britannica.
Only one of these countries is a functioning democracy—though all three hold some form of elections. Thus, this graphic is not a comparison but serves as a look back through history.
Since 1975, the U.S. has had eight different presidents. In that same time, Russia has had six leaders, and China four.
From this graphic, we can see that POTUS has regularly shifted back and forth between the Democrat and Republican parties. For reference, U.S. presidents cannot serve for more than two elected terms.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the highest office became the president of Russia. The Russian president is elected by popular vote to a six-year term, with a term limit of two consecutive terms.
Amendments made in 2020 have exempted Vladimir Putin from being term-limited by excluding his previous terms.
Meanwhile, in China, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has functioned as the nation’s most powerful position since the late 1980s. Chosen through internal party processes, the General Secretary serves a five-year term with no limit on reelection. The individual holding this office also becomes China’s president (the head of state), a role once considered more ceremonial.
China’s current president is Xi Jinping who has held the position since 2013. He is serving his third term after constitutional changes in 2018 removed presidential term limits. Under his presidency, China has strengthened its global influence, economy, and centralized governance within the country.
Credit: Visual Capitalist
