A president had a difficult first term dominated by a major economic recession, followed by a swift recovery and a costly but successful foreign war. He was unable to pursue his domestic-reform goals. The president now seeks reelection so he can pursue his domestic agenda during a second term.
Answer
A
retrospective voting based on the nation’s economic recovery and foreign-policy success
B
the heavy use of television advertisements that attack the opponent’s character
C
presidential debates that strongly emphasize the president’s planned domestic agenda
D
a party-nomination acceptance speech that notes the president’s first-term accomplishments
Explanation
Voters can judge an incumbent president by looking back at the results of the first term, a process called retrospective voting. Here, the economic recovery and successful foreign war are the record voters can assess, even though the president hopes to pursue domestic reforms in a second term. Choice A describes this backward-looking evaluation; the other choices describe campaign tactics or events rather than voters’ assessment of the incumbent’s record.
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