The Republican Party will control the U.S. House of Representatives after securing a majority of seats.
It also gained control of the Senate after last week’s elections when voters chose Donald Trump (a Republican) to be the next U.S. President.
The Republican party also has significant influence in the Supreme Court. This is because six of the nine serving Justices were appointed by Republicans.
The party will now have a majority presence in the three branches of U.S. Government — the legislative (Congress), executive (President) and judicial (Supreme Court).
Congress
Congress is the U.S. equivalent to Australia’s Parliament. It’s made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The House has 435 members that are up for re-election every two years. The number of seats are allocated to each state and American territory based on population.
There are two Senators for all 50 states, taking the total number to 100. Senators serve six-year terms, with a third of seats going up for election every two years.
Election
On the same day as the presidential election, Americans voted for the 435 members of the House and 34 Senate spots.
Heading into the election, the Democrats did not have a majority in the House but controlled the Senate by a slim margin (51 vs. 49).
The Democrats have lost at least three Senate seats in the states of West Virginia, Ohio, and Montana, meaning the Republicans now control the Senate.
The House
The race to control the House of Representatives was closer and has taken a week to call.
Republicans managed to hold their majority, winning the required 218 seats.
The Democrats have 208 seats. With nine seats still to be called, the most the Democrats can now win is 217, ruling out their chances of securing a House majority.
Controlling both houses of Congress means Republicans can pass legislation without being blocked by either chamber.
Supreme Court
There are nine justices on the Supreme Court. Their appointments are for life.
Justices are nominated by Presidents but must be approved by a Senate vote.
Six Justices were appointed by Republican Presidents. Half of these were nominated by Trump. The remaining three were Democrat appointees.
With the majority of Supreme Court Justices appointed under Republican presidencies, and his party in control of Congress, Trump is unlikely to face pushback on legislative proposals.
