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When Presidents Lose Trivia Quiz

A quiz about some incumbent US presidents who failed to be re-elected.

A multiple-choice quiz by SKU. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
SKU

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
385,947

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
370

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Who was the first US president to lose a re-election campaign? Hint

Aaron Burr

George Washington

John Adams

Thomas Jefferson

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Question 2 of 10

2. What did the second incumbent US president to lose re-election have in common with the first do do this? Hint

They were from the same political party

They lost to the same candidate

They were running mates

They were father and son

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Question 3 of 10

3. Andrew Jackson's vice-president was elected to succeed Jackson but then lost his own campaign for re-election. Who was he? Hint

John C. Calhoun

Martin Van Buren

John Tyler

William Henry Harrison

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Question 4 of 10

4. This US president lost his re-election to the same candidate he had defeated four years earlier. Hint

James Garfield

Grover Cleveland

Benjamin Harrison

Rutherford Hayes

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Question 5 of 10

5. This poor guy came in third in his race for re-election to the US presidency. Hint

William Howard Taft

Gerald Ford

William McKinley

Grover Cleveland

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Question 6 of 10

6. This incumbent US president lost his campaign in the midst of the Great Depression. Hint

Herbert Hoover

Franklin Roosevelt

Calvin Coolidge

Warren Harding

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Question 7 of 10

7. What was unique about incumbent US president Gerald Ford's election loss? Hint

It was his first campaign for president

He dropped out prior to the election

He lost his home state

He switched parties prior to the election

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Question 8 of 10

8. After defeating Gerald Ford, this incumbent was defeated by Ronald Reagan. Hint

Bill Clinton

Jimmy Carter

George H.W. Bush

Richard Nixon

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Question 9 of 10

9. This man served eight years as US vice-president under Ronald Reagan and four years as president before being defeated by Bill Clinton. Hint

George W. Bush

Gerald Ford

Richard Nixon

George H.W. Bush

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Question 10 of 10

10. This incumbent US president was defeated even while winning the popular vote. Hint

Al Gore

Grover Cleveland

Hillary Clinton

Benjamin Harrison

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who was the first US president to lose a re-election campaign?

Answer: John Adams

John Adams was only America's second president. Initially elected in 1796, he then lost to Thomas Jefferson in 1800.

2. What did the second incumbent US president to lose re-election have in common with the first do do this?

Answer: They were father and son

In 1828, John Quincy Adams became the second incumbent president to lose his re-election campaign when he was defeated by Andrew Jackson. John Quincy was, of course, the son of John Adams, who was the first incumbent president to be defeated.

3. Andrew Jackson's vice-president was elected to succeed Jackson but then lost his own campaign for re-election. Who was he?

Answer: Martin Van Buren

Van Buren was elected in 1836 but defeated for re-election in 1840 by William Henry Harrison.

4. This US president lost his re-election to the same candidate he had defeated four years earlier.

Answer: Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland in 1888 and was then defeated by Cleveland in 1892.

5. This poor guy came in third in his race for re-election to the US presidency.

Answer: William Howard Taft

In 1908, Taft was the Republican incumbent, but former President Theodore Roosevelt split from the Republican Party to form the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party. Democrat Woodrow Wilson won the election with Roosevelt coming in second and Taft third.

6. This incumbent US president lost his campaign in the midst of the Great Depression.

Answer: Herbert Hoover

When Herbert Hoover was elected in 1928, the American economy seemed to be humming along, but the next year brought the stock market crash and the onset of the Great Depression. Hoover shouldered much of the blame for this, and was defeated by Franklin D Roosevelt in 1932.

7. What was unique about incumbent US president Gerald Ford's election loss?

Answer: It was his first campaign for president

Gerald Ford's 1976 campaign for re-election as president was his first campaign for national office. Ford was a congressman when he was appointed vice-president after the resignation of Spiro Agnew. He then became president upon the resignation of Richard Nixon.

8. After defeating Gerald Ford, this incumbent was defeated by Ronald Reagan.

Answer: Jimmy Carter

Carter was only the second president to both defeat an incumbent and then be defeated for re-election as an incumbent (the first was Benjamin Harrison).

9. This man served eight years as US vice-president under Ronald Reagan and four years as president before being defeated by Bill Clinton.

Answer: George H.W. Bush

George H.W. Bush's son, George W. Bush, would later be elected to two terms as president.

10. This incumbent US president was defeated even while winning the popular vote.

Answer: Grover Cleveland

In his 1888 re-election campaign, Grover Cleveland won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote to Benjamin Harrison. Four years later he defeated Harrison in both votes.

Source: Author SKU

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
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