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midterm elections  

Definition

  • MIDTERM ELECTIONS IN the United States generally refer to a class of elections that fall in the middle of the presidential term, two years after the president is elected. The term itself implies a connection with the presidency; in the basic language of political science, the outcomes of midterm elections are assumed to be straw votes or indicators of the health of the president's popularity, the political health of the president's party, or the strength of the opposition party versus that of the presidents. [Source: Encyclopedia of U.S. Campaigns, Elections, and Electoral Behavior; Midterm Elections]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/midterm_elections

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