On November 4th, Americans will elect a new parliament, Republicans and Democrats in the election campaign verpulverten billion. President Obama threatens a setback – he has alienated his most important supporters.

They call them midterms, intermediate examination: The US congressional elections on November 4, lie between the presidential elections of 2012 and 2016. The voters they barely notice. They have a major impact, the power structure of Washington may in some election year similar shape as the decision in the fight for the White House.

2014 is such a year. Will America’s political blockade solve? Or exacerbate? What is US President Barack Obama with the new Congress can not implement in the remaining two years of his term?

Choices are all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, one of the two chambers of Congress. Deputies are elected by relative majority vote in two years. In the Senate, the other chamber, are every two years about one third of the total 100 seats to choose from. This year there are 36 seats. Each two senators elected for six years represent a state.

To pass a law, must be found in both chambers of Congress, a majority for it. The House of Representatives has greater importance in the domestic and fiscal policy; the Senate more foreign policy influence and say in the personnel policy of the President. The latter can stop a bill by veto; Congress can override with a two-thirds majority the President then only.

In addition, on 4 November with 36 governorships and 48 parliaments in the 50 states to choose from. In many municipalities nationwide municipal councils and mayors to be redefined, including those in the capital Washington.

Traditionally, the party that occupies the White House, more severe in the midterms because disaffected voters try to punish the president. So it was last in the congressional elections of 2010, when dozens moved in radical Tea Party activists for the Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Democrats lost their majority there. Since then, Obama has to deal with a divided government: He leads a kind of minority government, which only has a majority in the Senate (53 seats democratic plus two independent versus 45 Republican seats).

But the governance by the next week it could even harder: According to surveys, the Republicans will hold the House of Representatives well – and possibly win a majority in the Senate.

Obama’s approval ratings will be around 40 percent, a record low. Many Democratic candidates stay away from the President, only a Senate candidate has ever invited him to election campaigns. Major population groups such as Latinos are disappointed that Obama has not delivered the promised year after year immigration reform. Older, white voters are anyway easier to mobilize for midterms, they tend to Republicans. In addition, the uncertainty of Americans comes from global worries: There is the fear of Ebola, the uncertain struggle against the jihadists in Syria and Iraq, the crisis in the Ukraine.

The location at a glance:

*Of the 36 standing for election Senator items have been 21 with Democrats, but only 15 filled with Republicans. The Democrats have thus lose more.

*Three Democratic senators from traditionally Republican leanings states (West Virginia, South Dakota, Montana) no longer compete; Republican candidates       are considered safe  winner.

*Six additional, previously held by Democrats Senate seats are considered to be highly competitive. Everything is possible in Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, North       Carolina, Alaska and Colorado.

The loss of the Senate would Obama do during his last years in office to “Lame Duck” to political “lame duck”. More: A complete republican dominated Congress could Obama ever present unpleasant bills that the then stop with his veto would have – and thus the image of the blocking member would receive. Soon, the country could be a renewed “Government Shutdown” threaten – a government shutdown.

But the Democrats keep the Senate, everything remains the same: Parliament would take continued even from the game, since it would not be expected to compromise the parties on immigration and weapons law or in issues of combating social inequality; Obama in turn would increasingly rely on so-called executive orders: Governance without Parliament, to the extent that allows the Constitution. Lasting reforms, however, can not be established, the successor Obama could enforce orders after 2016 at any time override so.

With almost four billion dollars this vote is the most expensive midterm election in US history. This cost explosion goes back to 2010, when the Supreme Court opened the floodgates for nearly unlimited campaign contributions. After calculation of the Center for Responsive Politics alone the parties and candidates will spend approximately $ 2.7 billion this time; added nearly a billion dollars from mostly opaque groups.

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