Coattail Effect

Written By Jonathan Milner

Definition

Coattail effect: The boost that candidates may get in an election because of the popularity of candidates above them on the ballot, especially the president. The coattail effect, or down-ballot effect is the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election. Franklin Roosevelt was such a popular politician that many Democrats rode his coattails and were elected to Congress in districts they might otherwise have lost in.

Example

 
 

Questions

  1. What is the coattail effect?

  2. What kind of presidential candidates have long coattails?

  3. Find an image or emoji that does a good job of conveying the meaning of coattail effect?

  4. Do most winning presidents have much of a coattail effect for their party?

  5. Why do you think the coattail effect exists?

  6. Did President Biden have a big coattail effect in the 2020 election?

  7. How do you think political polarization impacts the coattail effect?

  8. Why do national races and elections impact state and local elections?

Remember!

Now, let’s commit this term to our long-term memory. On a scrap piece of paper, take 10 or 20 seconds to draw coattail effect. Draw with symbols or stick figures if you wish. Nothing fancy. Don’t expect a masterpiece. No one else will see this but you. Look at your drawing. That’s all - now it’s downloaded into your memory. Destroy the piece of paper in a most delightful way.

Further Review

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Jonathan Milner

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