1948 Congressional Election Analysis

The table above shows the following observations. In 1948 Congressional election, the Democrats taking advantage of President Truman’s coattails, who succeeded President Franklin Delano Roosevelt due to the latter’s death, gained 75 seats in the House and 9 seats in the Senate. In 1950 midterms with a 4.2% unemployment rate and an incumbent president who had a 40% (Below 50%), approval rating roughly a month before the midterm election, the Democrats lost 29 seats in the House and six seats in the Senate. In 1952, the Republicans took over the White House. President Eisenhower’s coattails led Republicans to gain 22 seats in the House and a single seat in the Senate. In the 1954 midterms the Republicans would lose 18 seats in the House and one …show more content…
In the 1958, the Republicans would lose additional 48 seats in the House and 13 seats in the Senate. President Eisenhower’s approval rating went down to 56% roughly a month before the second midterm elections in President Eisenhower’s tenure. The unemployment rate was 6.7%. In 1960, Democrats would get back to the White House after President John F. Kennedy’s victory over then incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon. Congressional Democrats could not capitalize the success their standard bearer had to gain the presidency of the United States. They would lose 22 seats in the House and gain a mere 2 seats in the Senate. Two years later, in the midterm elections of 1962, Democrats would lose additional 4 seats in the House and gain additional 3 seats in the Senate. There was a 5.4% unemployment rate and the President had a 60% approval rating roughly a month before the midterm election. After the unfortunately successful assassination attempt on President John F. Kennedy, then incumbent Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson succeeded him. In the 1964 elections, President Johnson’s coattails helped Democrats to gain 37 seats in the House and a single seat in the …show more content…
Once again he failed to help his party in Congress. Democrats lost 9 House seats and 2 Senate Seats. In 1998, there seems to a break as far as the unwritten rule that the party of the President loses seats in the Midterm Elections especially in second terms. Democrats actually gained 5 House seats and did not lose any Senate seats. The unemployment rate was 4.5%. President Clinton had a 65% approval rating. President Bush Jr. replaced the man who denied his father a second term as the President of the United States. The Republicans lost 3 House seats and 4 Senate seats that year. Nine months later a national disaster occurred. Terrorists led by Osama Bin Laden attacked America. Perhaps due to the “rally around the flag” sentiments after a tragedy, the Republicans gained 8 House Seats and 2 Senate seats - once again breaking the assumption that the party of the President loses seats in the midterms. The unemployment rate was 5.7%. President Bush had a 66% approval rating. President Bush Jr. won a second term. Additionally, the President’s coattails led Republicans to gain 3 House Seats and 4 Senate seats. In the 2006 Midterm Elections, President Bush Jr.’s approval rating was at a historically low of