High School

Dissatisfaction with a sitting president can affect the results of midterm elections. This is known as __________?

1) Gerrymandering
2) Swing voting
3) Midterm effect
4) Presidential influence

Answer :

Final answer:

Dissatisfaction with a sitting president affecting midterm election outcomes is known as the midterm effect, a phenomenon that often leads to congressional realignments due to changes in public opinion.

Explanation:

Dissatisfaction with a sitting president can affect the results of midterm elections, which is known as the midterm effect. This phenomenon is observed when the president's party often is blamed for the president's actions or inaction, leading to representatives and senators from the sitting president's party being more likely to lose their seats during a midterm election year. Contrary to the coattail effect experienced during presidential election years, where members of a popular presidential candidate's party see an increase in popularity, the midterm effect typically results in a reverse-coattail effect, causing congressional realignments such as the House or Senate changing from Democratic to Republican control or vice versa.

Recent examples include the 2018 and 2010 elections, where control of the House returned to the Democratic Party after eight years of Republican control and vice versa, respectively. This shift is primarily attributed to changes in public opinion towards the sitting president and their administration's policies.

Therefore, the correct answer to the question is: 3) Midterm effect.

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