What Have We Learned from the 2016 Elections?

Abstract

This concluding chapter revisits themes from the 2016 congressional elections and previews the 115th Congress (2017–2018). The Trump presidential campaign dominated campaign dynamics and Republicans varied in their support of his candidacy. Ironically, Republicans held onto majorities in the House and Senate by the very factors that Trump railed against: national party organizations and institutional features that favor incumbents. Democrats gained solace from their capture of a few seats and initial negative public sentiment toward the Trump administration. The differing stances Republicans made on the Trump campaign also made it difficult to point toward an electoral mandate. Issues related to healthcare, tax cuts, defense spending, the size of the federal government, and Russian attempts to interfere with U.S. elections are expected to be on the legislative agenda.