How the Midterm Elections Shape the Balance of Power

The United States' midterm elections are steadily approaching and continue to dominate the news. But what exactly are they? Elections for the House of Representatives and Senate take place every two years. And when they happen in the middle of a president's four-year term, they are referred to as midterms. All 435 members of the House, which is the lower chamber of Congress, will be elected, as each member serves fixed two-year terms. In the upper chamber, or the Senate, 35 of the 100 seats are to be contested with senators serving six-year terms. Every two years, around a third of Senate seats are up for election. Americans will decide between Republican and Democratic candidates in each state, with the outcome deciding which party controls Congress. Whoever controls Congress or has a majority in each chamber will determine how effective a president can be for the rest of their term. If the opposition controls the House, or the Senate, or both, they can derail the president's agenda for the next two years.