Lesson Plan: Understanding U.S. Midterm Elections
Level: Upper Secondary / High School (B1-B2 English)
Topic: U.S. Midterm Elections and Congress
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
- Explain what midterm elections are.
- Describe the roles of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- Understand why midterm elections are important.
- Discuss how election results can affect a president’s ability to govern.
- Use political vocabulary related to elections and government.
Think-Pair-Share
Ask students:
- How often are presidents elected in the United States?
- What happens if voters become unhappy with a president before the next presidential election?
- Why might elections held halfway through a president’s term matter?
What are the midterms?
On 3 November, Americans will choose members of Congress, which is made up of two parts – the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Elections take place every two years, and when they happen in the middle of the president’s four-year term of office, they are called the midterms.
A key task of Congress is to create and pass federal laws – laws that apply nationwide.
The outcome of the midterms will decide which political party – Trump’s Republicans or opposition Democrats – controls Congress and how easy it is for the president to carry out his plans.
The results are also seen as a measure of how happy people in the US are with the president’s performance so far. BBC
Before watching the video below, explain the vocabulary:
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Congress | The U.S. legislative branch |
| Senate | The upper chamber of Congress |
| House of Representatives | The lower chamber of Congress |
| Majority | More than half of the seats |
| Agenda | A politician’s plans and goals |
| Gridlock | A situation where little or no progress can be made |
| Constituents | People represented by elected officials |
| Referendum | A vote that shows public opinion |
While Watching
Students watch the video and answer:
- Why are the elections called “midterms”?
- Which members of Congress are elected during midterms?
- Why are midterm elections important even though the president is not on the ballot?
- What is political gridlock?
Read the text from the Guardian and answer the questions below.
On November 3rd the US voters will decide whether Republicans will retain control of Congress or whether Democrats will rise up to stymie Trump’s agenda
Donald Trump will still be US president on the morning of 4 November. But he could be facing a very different political landscape, depending on the results of the US midterm elections held the previous day.
As the name implies, midterm elections fall nearly halfway through a president’s term. They are often a telling referendum on the sitting president’s performance, something Trump is actively encouraging by telling voters “pretend I’m on the ballot”. In this case, voters will decide whether Trump’s Republican party can retain its grip on Congress.
Democrats are hoping to capitalise on growing discontent with Trump to seize control of the US House of Representatives, and possibly the Senate. Republicans are fighting to preserve their congressional majorities and prevent a fresh period of legislative paralysis and investigations into the White House. The Guardian
Comprehension Questions
- How often do midterm elections take place?
- What are the two parts of Congress?
- How long does a member of the House of Representatives serve?
- How long does a senator serve?
- Why are midterm elections often seen as a judgment of a president’s performance?
- What can happen if Congress and the president belong to different political parties?
- Why do the outcomes of midterm elections matter for the future of U.S. policy?