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DES MOINES, IOWA - OCTOBER 14: A voter casts his ballot during early voting at the Polk County Election Office on Oct. 14, 2026, in Des Moines, Iowa.

The midterm effect: What the 2026 election could mean for public policy

Loren Adler, Matthew Fiedler, Scott R. Anderson, Bill Baer, Sarah A. Binder, William A. Galston, Ryan Hass, Elaine Kamarck, Aaron Klein, Anisha Singhal, Michael E. O’Hanlon, Gabriel R. Sanchez, Nicol Turner Lee, Jon Valant, David G. Victor, Darrell M. West, Russell Wheeler, Tom Wheeler +13 more

October 22, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) gestures as he speaks with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia at the White House on November 18, 2025, in Washington, DC. Trump is hosting the crown prince for meetings aimed at strengthening economic and defense ties, including the U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.

Approving the US-Saudi nuclear deal while reducing proliferation risks

Robert Einhorn

October 26, 2026

Images of Brookings scholars in podcast: EJ Dionne, Marcela Escobari, Ben Harris, Suzanne Maloney, under the banner "Gas, groceries, and votes"

Please Discuss … the pressures shaping the 2026 midterms

E.J. Dionne, Jr., Marcela Escobari, Ben Harris, Suzanne Maloney

October 20, 2026

A snapshot of America’s schools: Trends and global comparisons

Jon Valant, Nicolas Zerbino, Emma Mills

October 16, 2026

RENTON, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 23: An election worker opens midterm elections ballots at the King County Elections headquarters on Oct. 23, 2026, in Renton, Washington.

How dirty tricks harm, and institutional safeguards protect, the integrity of US elections

Elaine Kamarck, Darrell M. West

October 28, 2026

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Brookings scholar Landry Signe at the World Bank Spring Meetings 2026

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Midterm Elections

Alan Montag plants soybeans on farmland he leases on May 6, 2026, near West Bend, Iowa.

Campaigns & Elections How rural economic woes imperil GOP majorities

William A. Galston

Please Discuss podcast episode 1, 2026 midterms: the rules have changed

U.S. Government & Politics Please Discuss … the shifting map of the 2026 midterm elections

E.J. Dionne, Jr., Scott R. Anderson, Elaine Kamarck, Elena Patel

AUSTIN, TEXAS - AUGUST 20: Texas Republican Rep. Marc LaHood views a map during a House meeting in the State Capitol on August 20, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Texas lawmakers continue convening during a second special session over a newly introduced plan to redraw Texas' congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

U.S. Democracy Recent SCOTUS decisions threaten to uproot communities’ voting power

Gabriel R. Sanchez, Keon L. Gilbert, Rashawn Ray

Campaigns & Elections New post office policy could lead to the rejection of tens of thousands of mail-in ballots in November

Elena Patel

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International Affairs

Upcoming Event

November 05

2026

Israel Israel after the elections: What’s next for US-Israel relations?

Online Only

Thursday, 10:00 am - 11:00 am EST

Attendants listen to Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the National Day reception on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China September 30, 2026.

China Xi’s party: What to look for at the upcoming Chinese Communist Party plenum

Jonathan A. Czin, Allie Matthias

Aerial view of steel mills and industrial areas

Global Trade Do we finally agree on overcapacity? Now what?

Kari Heerman

Apartment buildings are pictured in Beijing

China Is China’s economy broken?

Jonathan A. Czin, Mary E. Gallagher, Logan Wright

See more on International Affairs

Artificial Intelligence

U.S. Economy Taxing artificial intelligence: What’s on the table, and what’s at stake

Elena Patel, Aparna Mathur

Children & Families Parenting in an AI revolution

Abby McCloskey, Jonathan Haidt

U.S. Economy The $10 trillion question: Financing the AI buildout

Janice C. Eberly, Jón Steinsson, Aaron Klein, Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh

TOPSHOT - A participant holds a placard during a "emergency protest" by civic action group PauseAI UK outside Downing Street in central London on September 16, 2026, after news that AI researcher Jacob Coxon has decided to leave the industry. The world's biggest AI companies are working on creating a standards body, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI said on Sept. 15, as fears rise about the dangers of AI and pressure is on to create a safer version of the technology.

Artificial Intelligence Is the AI existential threat real—and can regulatory action prevent it?

Aaron Klein, Cameron F. Kerry, Raj Korpan, Mark MacCarthy, Elena Patel, Sanjay Patnaik, Stephanie K. Pell, Landry Signé, Anisha Singhal, Josie Stewart, Elham Tabassi, Brooke Tanner, Nicol Turner Lee, John Villasenor, Darrell M. West, Tom Wheeler, Valerie Wirtschafter, Andrew W. Wyckoff, Niam Yaraghi +14 more