Book excerpt: Explores how midterm elections have shaped the American presidency Midterm elections have forced presidents to adjust course, reshaped their relationship with the party they lead, and heralded the rise or fall of new electoral coalitions. This book presents a fresh perspective on the American presidency by analysing how midterms modify in crucial ways the mandate that a president gained at the time of their election to the White House. Midterms not only provide an important opportunity for voters to evaluate the record of a president so far, but also have consequences for an administration's pursuit of the president's agenda over the two years that follow. Bringing together political scientists and historians, this collection presents a multidisciplinary understanding of the interplay between midterm elections and the American presidency. Patrick Andelic is Senior Lecturer in American History at Northumbria University. Mark McLay is Lecturer in Twentieth-Century US History at Lancaster University. Robert Mason is Professor of History at the University of Edinburgh.