Since 1934, in every off-year election but two, the president's party

• A. Has lost seats in one or both houses of Congress.
• B. Has changed its policy position significantly.
• C. Has won seats in one or both houses of Congress.
• D. Has decreased its support for the president's agenda.

Answer: (A)

In off-year (midterm) elections, the party of the sitting president typically loses seats in Congress. This reflects a recurring voter behavior: people use midterms to express satisfaction or frustration with the president, and turnout patterns often favor the opposition, making it harder for the president’s party to defend seats. Since 1934, this losing-seat pattern has occurred in nearly all midterms, with only two notable exceptions. Because of this long-running trend, the best description of what happens in most midterms is that the president’s party loses seats in one or both houses of Congress.