Political cycle

The political cycle is the concept that some events in politics repeat in regular, predictable cycles.

The political cycle has several definitions. One popular definition of the political cycle explains changes in power:
# New government established.
# Government is initially popular. Problems are blamed on the previous government. Supporters have high hopes and expectations for the new government. This stage of the political cycle is described as the 'honeymoon'.
# Time passes. Problems are blamed on the current government. The government does not meet the expectations of disillusioned supporters. Entrenched power comes with the risk of corruption and scandal.
# Unhappiness with the government reaches a critical point. The government is removed. In democracies, this is achieved through elections. In authoritarian states, this is achieved through force, internal politics, or other methods.:: (New government established. Political cycle repeats.)

The political cycle is much faster in democracies than in authoritarian states. Regular elections in a democracy means that a political cycle only takes a few years. In an authoritarian state, removing a government is very difficult. Political cycles can take decades or even centuries, e.g. the dynastic cycle of imperial China.

In U.S. politics, the political cycle is commonly cited to explain the results of the midterm elections. Midway through a presidential term, the president's political party usually loses seats in the Congress. However, the political cycle fails to explain why many presidents subsequently win re-election to a second term.