Final answer:
Straight-ticket voting and the coattail effect both relate to party-level benefits in elections, with the former being a voter's selection of all candidates from one party, and the latter an increase in candidates' odds from the popularity of a top-ticket member.
Step-by-step explanation:
The effect of straight-ticket voting is similar to the coattail effect in that both mechanisms can enhance or extend the benefits of a political party's popularity in elections. In straight-ticket voting, a voter chooses all the candidates from a single party, simplifying the process and often increasing votes for down-ballot candidates of that party simply based on partisan affiliation, which can reduce ballot fatigue. The coattail effect occurs when a particularly popular candidate, often the presidential nominee, boosts the chances of other candidates in the same party being elected due to their association with the top candidate's popularity.
For example, during the 1998 election in Illinois, the Democratic Party launched a strong campaign encouraging straight-ticket voting, which resulted in a significant win for the party. Conversely, the coattail effect was visible in the 2018 midterm elections when the appeal of the presidential party helped to flip control of the House of Representatives. Both effects can benefit parties by unifying votes under a party line, although they can also obscure individual candidate evaluation.