Answer Close-Reading Questions
Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.
• What are midterm elections? How do they play a key role in how the nation is run? (Central Ideas)
Midterm elections are contests that take place halfway through a president’s four-year term. This year, they will be on November 8. People in many states will elect governors and senators, and people in every state will elect U.S. representatives. The elections will determine which political party has a majority of seats in each part of Congress. That will influence which national laws are passed over the next two years. It will also play a role in what the U.S. president is able to accomplish.
• According to the circle graphs, what is the current makeup of Congress? (Graph Reading)
In the House of Representatives, Democrats hold a majority of seats, with 220 to the Republicans’ 209. (Six seats are vacant.) In the Senate, Democrats have 48 seats and the two Independent senators caucus with them, while Republicans have 50 seats. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, has the tie-breaking vote.
• How do the midterm elections affect the president? (Cause and Effect)
Midterms are regarded as “report cards” for presidents because many people vote based on how good of a job they think the president is doing. Over the past 200 years, the sitting president’s party has lost seats in Congress in almost every midterm election. This year, polls show that many Americans are worried about the economy and other issues. Some experts think that Republicans will gain a majority in one or both chambers of Congress.