Vocable All English – 18 Octobre 2018

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What are the U.S. midterm elections?
The U.S. midterms are the elections that take place every four years in November, in the
middle of a president’s term in oice.
During these elections, American citizens elect all the members of the House of
Representatives (435 seats). They also elect members of the Senate in 33 or 34 states,
which means that roughly a third of the seats in the Senate are up for grabs. Voters also elect
their governors in 36 states. In many states, voters are also being asked to elect members of
their state legislatures, as well as other oicers like state and county judges.
These elections are often regarded as a referendum on the sitting president because
what is at stake is control of the second arm of government, the “legislature”, that is both
houses of the U.S. Congress.
term in oice period in oice / roughly approximately, around / up for grabs possible, available / legislature
legislative body / oicer oicial / to regard to consider / sitting current, in oice / at stake at risk.
and the power to slow Trump's agenda and
probe his administration, set against Repub-
licans' hopes to enact conservative policies
for at least two more years.

5. The symbolic stakes run even deeper.
   Former President Barack Obama has taken
   to the campaign trail. In calling for rejection
   of Trump's politics “of fear and resentment,”
   Obama joined a chorus of Democrats, and
   some Republicans, warning of fundamental
   threats from Trump's serial dishonesty, ra-
   cially charged rhetoric, attacks on the news
   media, and calls for law enforcement oficials
   to investigate his enemies. “The midterms
   are just such an important point to test
   whether all of this resistance energy and
   political fever can be translated,” Laurison
   said. 

TRUMP’S POLITICAL STYLE

6. A Democratic wave might offer the politi-
   cal reckoning that many expected in 2016,
   and signal that even though Trump's incen-

diary style worked then, it might still carry

a political price. If Trump and the GOP again

beat expectations, though, and hold the

House, it could validate the president's un-

conventional approach and again show that

his appeal runs far deeper than public sur-

veys suggest. It would further decimate the

old political rules. 

7. The stakes show in public surveys: 65
   percent of registered voters told a Washing-
   ton Post/A BC poll in August that it's more
   important to vote now than in past midterms.
   Among Democratic-leaning voters the igure
   was 75 percent. For those who lean Republi-
   can, it was 57 percent.

UNCERTAINTY

8. The odds, and history, favor Democrats.
   The party in the White House has lost House
   seats in all but three midterms since the
   Civ il War, and Trump's approval ratings are
   historically low. But Trump deied predic-
   tions and polls in 2016 with a victory that it
   into a pattern of seismic upsets around the

agenda political programme / to probe to explore,

examine / administration government / to enact to

carry out.

5. to take, took, taken to the campaign trail to start
   campaigning / resentment hostility, anger / a chorus of
   a number of / serial perpetual / dishonesty lies / racially
   charged full of racial connotations / rhetoric speech,
   discourse / law enforcement oicials forces of order /
   to be translated to turn into actual results.


6. reckoning judgement, settling of accounts / GOP = Grand Old Party, the Republican Party /
   expectations predictions / to hold, held, held to control
   / House = House of Representatives / appeal
   attraction, here, popularity /

survey poll, study.

7. registered voter elector that has signed up to vote /
   poll survey, study / to lean, leaned or leant to support
   (politically).


8. odds chances, possibilities / Civil War war in the US
   between the North and South (1861-1865) / approval
   rating rating of popularity / to it into to be part of, relate
   to / pattern phenomenon, trend / upset surprise
   outcome /

A Trump supporter at a rally in support of the Senate candidacy of Attorney General Patrick Morrisey,

Aug. 21, 2018, in Charleston. (Craig Hudson/AP/SIPA)

Registered voters who say they are/were more enthusiastic than usual about voting:

For September 2018:

67% of voters who support Democratic candidates

59% of voters who support Republican candidates

For September 2014:

36% of voters who support Democratic candidates

52% of voters who support Republican candidates

(Source: Pew Research Center)