Final answer:
The passage explains electoral patterns in U.S. politics, highlighting the reverse-coattail effect in midterm elections, such as the 2018 House shift to the Democrats, and the role of national issues in congressional elections.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of the coattail effect and its reversal during midterm elections relate to patterns observed in electoral politics. The passage suggests that in a presidential election year, a popular presidential candidate can help their party members in Congress win seats through the coattail effect.
In contrast, during midterm elections, the president's party typically faces losses in Congress, a phenomenon often referred to as the reverse-coattail effect. This has been noted by scholars like Campbell and others who have observed consistent losses for the president's party since the Civil War, with a few exceptions.
National issues have increasingly influenced congressional elections, with trends like straight-ticket voting becoming more common. The 2018 midterm election is a prime example, where control of the House of Representatives shifted to the Democratic Party after several years of Republican dominance.
The complete question is: The following passage analyzes patterns from the 2018 midterm election data. Read the passage and correct any mistakes. is: