Does anyone get re-elected on a bad economy?

[The Guid]

Simple question really.

I've spotted that leaders in democratic countries largely rise and fall on the basis of their perceived ability with the economy. Are there any democratic leaders or indeed parties that have bucked the trend; governments who have presided over diminished quality of life and economy and have then been re-elected? Especially if they have remained popular.

How did they do this?

[Broomstick]

FDR got re-elected three times, despite the lingering problems of the Great Depression.

[Samuel]

FDR got re-elected three times, despite the lingering problems of the Great Depression.

Yeah, but the second time, the economy was improving, the third time there was the threat of war and the fourth time we were in a war.

[Broomstick]

Yeah, the economy improving from "completely hellish" to "sucks infected donkey balls" was such an improvement... although the perception the New Deal was at least helping probably did have something to do with it.

[Hillary]

John Major's Government got re-elected in 1992 when the economy was pants. This was as much to do with the fear of Neil Kinnock becoming PM, as anything else - something the press eagerly exploited.

Entertainingly, he then got his arse handed to him in 1997, when the economy was in pretty damn good shape. They lost due to a few factors. The 'sleaze' issue, where a lot of Tory MPs were exposed as being less than saintly in their personal/financial dealings; a general fatigue from having the same party in power for 18 years; and the Labour party having a credible leader (i.e. one who wasn't even slightly socialist and looked like a Tory).

Maggie Thatcher's Government also got re-elected (and with an improved majority) in 1983, when we were only just starting to pick up again after the early 80s recession. However, this had more to do with the Falklands War - Jingoism Ahoy!!!

[Surlethe]

Yeah, the economy improving from "completely hellish" to "sucks infected donkey balls" was such an improvement... although the perception the New Deal was at least helping probably did have something to do with it.

Over FDR's first term, the US economy grew about 30%. That's 6-7% annually. No surprise FDR was reelected in 1936. (It's also no surprise FDR was elected in the first place: on Hoover's watch, the economy fell about 9%/yr.)

[Skgoa]

Germany's chancellor Schröder got re-elected riding on popularity from his handling of severe flooding in east Germany. He resigned a couple of years later, when his reforms to kickstart economic growth were seen by his base and party as to anti-social.

[TC Pilot]

FDR's win in '36 had probably about as much to do with the perception of "We'll completely repeal the New Deal" if the Republicans were elected.

Another good example of an incumbent winning despite substantial drops in living standards and economic conditions was Yeltsin in '96, though he won more as a result of simply buying the election.