In the context of elections since 2010, discuss howRepublicans have done much better in midterm elections than in presidential ones.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary.Within one year of Obama's inauguration, the Democratic advantage had vanished. Continued high rates of unemployment were one major reason. Also, a sharp increase in government activity during Obama's first two years in office appeared to bother many voters. In November 2010, the voters handed the U.S. House to the Republicans. Republican successes in 2010 were backed up by the growth in new conservative movements such as the Tea Party. Founded after Barack Obama became president, the grassroots Tea Party movement opposed current levels of government and taxation, and also resisted political compromise. By 2012, some were beginning to wonder whether the strong conservatism of the newly elected Republicans might be alienating independent voters. In fact, in the 2012 elections, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama prevailed by almost 4 percentage points. While these results were better for the Democrats than for the Republicans, they did nothing to change the partisan balance in the nation's capital.In 2014, Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate and did well in state-level races. At least one cause of that party's success is that America has recently had two very different electorates, one for the midterms and one when presidential candidates are on the ballot. The midterm electorate now is significantly more Republican than the presidential one. In recent years, younger voters have become more Democratic, even as older ones have moved toward the Republicans. Voter turnout declines across the board in the midterms, but the falloff among younger voters (and minority group members) is especially large. This helps to explain why, since at least 2010, Republicans have done much better in midterm elections than in presidential ones.