The Republican Party made major gains in the 2010 mid-term elections. It secured a majority in the House of Representatives and gained seats from the Democrats in the Senate elections. Although Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, beat off a challenge from a Republican candidate closely associated with the Tea Party movement, there is little doubt that President Obama faces major difficulties. There is now no hope for legislation that would add to the powers of government. Furthermore, the Republicans may use their control of the House to intensify oversight of the White House. Given the differences between the parties, there is little scope for compromise. (The results of the 2010 mid-term elections are the subject of a forthcoming article in Vol. 20, No. 4, April 2011.)
‘Tip’ O’Neill, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, once said in a celebrated comment that ‘all politics is local’. He was thinking in large part of Congressional elections, which have traditionally been focused on issues that are important to a particular state or district. When seats were lost, it was usually because of local issues or concerns about a particular candidate.
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