Dems Are Better for the Economy. Why Won’t They Say So? [...] The period from 1961 up through 2017 covers 56 years. As it happens, the parties split presidential control during that time exactly evenly, 28 years each. In the Republicans’ 28 years, the non-farm job rolls added 31.5 million workers. In the Democrats’ years? Try 61.2 million. Essentially twice as many.