Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for November 16, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
November 16, 2018: Following last week’s election, four presidents in a row have come into power with their party in control of Congress and then lost control of Congress.[1]
The series began in 1992 with the election of Bill Clinton, whose party lost Congress in 1994. George W. Bush was elected in 2000, and Republicans lost Congress in 2006. Barack Obama won big in 2008, and his party lost big in 2010. And, of course, Donald Trump was elected in 2016, but his party lost the House majority last week.
This swapping back and forth of political power has been going on for so long that it somehow seems normal. But it’s not. A streak like this has never happened before in American history. In fact, prior to 1992, it had never even happened during two consecutive presidencies.
In a recent column, I wrote that “this ongoing dissatisfaction and desire for change reflects a fundamental rejection of both political parties.” We have reached a point where “Republicans and Democrats are both capable of tapping into discontent when the other team is in power. However, neither party has figured out how to deliver meaningful accomplishments when given the chance to exercise power.”
Prior to 1994, Democrats had controlled the House of Representatives for 40 consecutive years and 60 out of 64 years.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- November 15, 2018 – 5 percent of Americans have finished their holiday shopping
- November 14, 2018 – 3 statewide recounts have overturned Election Day results this century
- November 13, 2018 – 60 percent of U.S. exports come from manufacturing sector
- November 12, 2018 – 42 percent of school-aged children involved in sports
- November 9, 2018 – 18.2 million living veterans
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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