Is all politics local?
In previous elections over the years we’ve seen a pattern and have seen it again in the most recent 2014 election. Now we find the definition of wave election, although there is no precise definition, as a term used when one party makes major gains in the House and Senate. (Platt 2014) Based off of the previous elections 2006, 2008, 2010, and most recent 2014, one can come to agree with the question is all politics local? Absolutely and here’s my reasoning of why, people are used to voting for the Candidate that they’ve always continually followed whether it’s their party or not. Also people vote for the Candidate that closely relates their recent local issues.
So first let me expound on my view and reasoning that people are used to voting for candidates that they’ve always followed. We see in many cases and elections that those who’ve already been in office and are career politicians would like to once again be in office of course run again which makes them the quality candidate (Platt 2014). In most situations we see the incumbent controlling the campaign agenda, monopolizing media attention, and winning regardless of partisan trends. For the most part it takes a very robust, ambitious challenger to offer an alternative that will ultimately retire the incumbent early (Strategic Politicians and the Dynamics of U.S. House Elections, Jacobson). But in most elections those kinds of challengers are scared off leaving the incumbent to go up against a weaker candidate and therefore allowing the incumbent to once again win (Incumbency advantage in US House Elections, Cox and Katz).
Now one would think then when people vote in midterm elections, they vote for the Candidate whose solutions best correlate with the issue at hand. According to the material and based off the previous elections this is correct. That’s why we see quality candidates running when the conditions are favorably on their side to win and they come up with solutions to most local issues at the time, and expect to win since they’re a household name, who’s previously held a position, and faces issues most recently at