5 Big Questions About the Midterm Elections

Congress is the lawmaking branch of the U.S. government. Members of Congress meet in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Their main job is to write, debate, and pass bills, or proposals for new laws. Bills that are passed by Congress may then be signed into law by the president.

The midterms determine which political party controls Congress. The two main political parties are the Democrats and the Republicans. Each party wants to win a majority of the seats in the House and the Senate.

Democrats currently control both chambers. President Joe Biden is also a Democrat, so the bills he supports have a better chance of becoming laws. But that would likely change if Republicans were to gain control of one or both chambers of Congress.

“The midterms are really important because the president can’t act on his own,” says Kyle Kondik. He’s an expert on politics at the University of Virginia. “He needs to work with the House and the Senate.”

The midterm elections serve as a kind of report card for the president. If Americans disapprove of the job he’s doing, his party will likely lose seats in Congress.

Voters in 36 states will also elect a governor, the head of their state government. Across the country, people will cast their ballots for candidates in hundreds of state and local races as well. 

Kondik says it’s important to pay attention to those races. After all, the government of a city or town is often in charge of things like public libraries, fire departments, and local parks.

“People sometimes overlook the important function of their local government,” he says.

1. Based on the article, why do you think these elections are called midterms?

2. According to the article, why are midterms important?

3. How are the two chambers of Congress alike and different?