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What do previous US midterms tell us about the direction of American politics?

What does looking at the history of the midterms tell us about the extent they can forecast wider political change?

• Matt Elton

Published: November 5, 2026 at 1:06 PM

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US voters have been casting their ballots in the midterm elections, with Democrats taking control of Congress for the rest of Donald Trump’s presidency. But what does looking at the history of the midterms tell us about the extent they can forecast wider political change? In this episode, recorded earlier this week before the results were announced, regular panellists Rana Mitter and Hannah Skoda look back at some key examples.

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Authors

Matt EltonPodcast editor

Matt Elton is the podcast editor at HistoryExtra

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