Incumbent politicians tend to win elections in times of economic prosperity and lose during recessions. Knowing this, incumbents have an incentive to boost the economy temporarily by cutting taxes and raising government spending several months before an election. Thus, in democratic nations, upcoming elections may be a major cause of short-term economic expansions. Each of the following, if true, strengthens the argument EXCEPT: ['In democratic nations, incumbent politicians have more control than anyone else over decisions about when taxes will be cut and government spending raised.', 'Cutting taxes several months before an election is an effective means for incumbent politicians to boost the economy temporarily.', 'In democratic nations, short-term economic expansions more often start within the six months preceding a national election than within the six months following one.', 'Politicians in democratic nations sometimes cut taxes and raise government spending in the months following an election.']