Checks, Balances, or Backsliding? The 2026 US Midterm Elections
Just weeks after Americans return to the polls, this lecture asks what the 2026 midterm results mean for a Congress that has struggled to function as a co-equal branch of government.
Stevenson Trust, Social Sciences hub
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2026
Time: 18:00 - 19:30
Venue: The Humanities Lecture Theatre The Gilbert Scott Building University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ
Category: Public lectures, Social events, Academic events, Student events, Alumni events
Speaker: Christopher Carman
Just weeks after Americans return to the polls, this lecture asks what the 2026 midterm results mean for a Congress that has struggled to function as a co-equal branch of government. It examines whether the new balance of power changes how the legislature checks — or defers to — the executive, and what the campaign and count reveal about the health of American elections. Above all, it asks a question central to this series: were these elections free and fair, and do they show signs of democratic backsliding?