The US midterm elections on November 3, which brought a convincing victory for the Democratic Party and a serious defeat for President Donald Trump, demonstrated not only a shift in political attitudes but also the ability of American society to renew itself. This is noted by Italian sociologist Mauro Magatti in an analysis for the newspaper Avvenire, published on November 7.
According to him, the result should not be overstated, since midterm elections are traditionally unfavorable for the party of the incumbent president. Between 1934 and 2022, the governing party lost seats in the House of Representatives in 20 out of 23 such elections, or approximately 87% of the time.
Nevertheless, the latest elections highlighted three important trends – the growing importance of economic problems, the emergence of a new generation of political leaders, and the increasing representation of various social groups in public life.
First and foremost, the rising cost of living played a decisive role for voters. The prices of fuel, food, housing and medical services have become key criteria in choosing political representatives.
Approximately half of those who voted cited the cost of living as the determining factor in their decision, alongside corruption. According to Magatti, this shows that Americans are once again placing concrete economic problems ahead of major ideological conflicts.
The second trend is the emergence of new faces in American politics. Following their defeat in the 2024 presidential election, the Democrats have managed to put forward younger candidates who have attracted considerable support.
They include re-elected Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, 37-year-old James Talarico, who won the Senate seat in Texas, and 29-year-old Melat Kiros, who became the first representative of Generation Z elected to Congress.
According to the analysis, the new generation of Democrats received the support of around two-thirds of young voters. It remains to be seen, however, whether these politicians will be able to turn their electoral success into sustainable results in government.
The third trend is linked to the expansion of political representation. The elections led to a number of historic firsts involving representatives of various ethnic, religious and social communities.
Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. Keisha Lance Bottoms won the gubernatorial election in Georgia, while Peggy Flanagan and Deb Haaland achieved historic breakthroughs in the representation of the Indigenous peoples of the United States.
Magatti notes that diversity in political institutions reflects the changing face of American society and its ability to include new groups in governance.
Against this backdrop, Europe appears considerably less dynamic, the Italian sociologist believes. European societies are aging, political parties are more often seeking to preserve existing structures than to offer a new vision for the future, and the renewal of political elites is proceeding slowly.
According to him, public discontent on the Old Continent is visible, but difficult to turn into constructive political proposals. Members of younger generations and descendants of immigrant families also less frequently reach leading positions in government.
The analysis emphasizes that the American example should not be idealized. The US remains a deeply divided country, and a significant proportion of voters did not participate in the election. Moreover, an electoral victory in itself does not guarantee economic improvement or successful governance.
The new political leaders face serious challenges, including bringing inflation under control, restoring public trust and overcoming domestic political divisions.
Mauro Magatti’s main conclusion is that democratic vitality is measured not only by electoral results, but by society’s ability to create new leaders, ideas and opportunities for participation.
According to him, this is precisely the lesson Europe should draw from the American midterm elections – the need for political renewal, a stronger connection with citizens’ everyday problems, and the transformation of public discontent into a compelling vision for the future.