The Presidency and the 2022 Elections
Midterm elections are often thought of as a referendum on the president. While Presidents may not be on the ballot, voters’ opinions on the president’s job performance influence how they will vote in midterm elections. Much of the discussion heading into the 2022 election focused on President Biden’s low approval ratings and whether they would harm Democrats in the midterm election.
At the same time, presidents use their office to try to focus both the media’s and the public’s attention on certain issues that will help their party in the midterm election. At the end of the 2022 election we saw President Biden attempt to use his office to focus attention on threats to American Democracy. Although this strategy was initially dismissed by many political pundits, it seems to have helped Democrats in the 2022 election.
Instructors, click the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt and a debate question as well as other assessment questions.
Download: The Presidency and the 2022 Elections
Videos
News Articles
GOP Seat Lead Shrinks as Biden Approval Ticks Up
CBS News
08/28/2022
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gop-house-seat-lead-biden-approval-opinion-poll-2022-08-28/
NPR Poll Shows Biden’s Approval Rating is Up But There Are Warning Signs for Democrats
NPR
10/6/2022
https://www.npr.org/2022/10/06/1126935638/poll-biden-improvement-voting-midterms-2022
Biden’s Low Approval Ratings Weigh on Undecided Voters
Politico
10/26/2022
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/26/biden-approval-ratings-undecided-voters-00063449
Economic Issues Top the Public’s Agenda: Poll
ABC News
06/05/2022
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/economic-issues-top-publics-agenda-poll/story?id=85183412
Biden is Unpopular But Democrats Lead 2022 Polls. What Gives?
Washington Post
10/10/2022
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/10/10/biden-poll-unpopular-democrats-lead/
If History is A Guide
Roll Call
01/22/2022
https://rollcall.com/2022/01/24/if-historys-a-guide-biden-aint-getting-any-stronger/
How President Biden’s Lagging Approval Rating Compares to Other Recent Presidents Ahead of A Midterm Election
Minneapolis Post
09/28/2022
Assessment
Debate: Did President Biden’s focus on preserving American Democracy towards the end of the 2022 election help Democrats?
Poll: Should presidents attempt to influence public opinion?
Did you watch or hear about President Biden’s Speech in Philadelphia on preserving American Democracy?
Short Answer: Why are presidents in a good position to influence public opinion?
