Final answer:
The common trend is for the president's party to gain congressional seats during a presidential election year and lose seats during midterm elections, known as the coattail and reverse-coattail effects, respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the common trend for the president’s party in relation to the control of Congress during presidential and midterm elections. It is a phenomenon observed in the United States' electoral politics where the president's party tends to experience different outcomes in these two types of elections.
During a presidential election year, the president's party often benefits from the coattail effect, where members of the popular presidential candidate's party see an increase in their chances of winning election or re-election. However, during midterm elections, the sitting president's party frequently faces losses in Congress, a situation that political analysts attribute to a reverse-coattail effect. This historical pattern has led to many congressional realignments.
The correct answer to this question is e. Gain congressional seats during a presidential election year and lose seats during the midterm election. This pattern has been consistent with the exception of a few instances, such as in 1934 and is backed by the concept that presidential election years stimulate higher voter turnout, often benefitting the president’s party, whereas midterms tend to have lower turnout, disadvantaging the president's party.