US Politics: Understanding the 2026 US Mid-Term Elections – Will a new Congress make a difference in Trump’s America? with Dr Jenny Mathers from Aberystwyth University
November 5 @ 14:05 - 14:50
Since Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term, the Republicans have controlled both the Senate and the House of Representatives. But with Trump’s popularity dropping steadily, many observers are expecting the Democrats to take one or even both houses of Congress in the mid-term elections on 3 November.
This workshop will focus on the results of the mid-term elections and what they might mean for the functioning of politics in the United States in the final two years of Trump’s second administration. Fully interactive, this session will examine the composition of Congress as a whole as well as the outcome of key battleground districts, considering what they reveal about key issues that have driven the campaigns and the state of America’s two dominant political parties. Will the new Congress be able to offer an effective challenge to Donald Trump or will there be a continuation of business as usual?
A Level Syllabus themes: American politics; elections; voting behaviour; political parties; US Congress; the US President at home and abroad
Lecturer Profile: Dr Jenny Mathers is Senior Lecturer in International Politics in the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University. Jenny will be supported during the session by her colleague, Dr James Vaughan, who is Lecturer in International History at Aberystwyth.
Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom, or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.
As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides will be shared, where available.
Suitable for: Aged 16+ pre-university students studying or with an interest in studying Politics, International Relations and related subjects. Teachers and members of school staff, as always, are welcome too and participants can join as individuals from school/college or home, or as a group from school/college.
Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic and discuss some of the key elements in advance. Students can also think about questions they have about studying at university level.
The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.
Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below: