2002 midterm elections impact America.

The November 2002 midterm election marked the first time in U.S. history that the president's party gained seats in the House of Representatives during the administration's first midterm elections. The Republican Party also picked up seats in the Senate, giving the party control of both houses of Congress. The GOP coup was completed as a majority of the nation's gubernatorial seats remained in its control.

During the 108th Congress, the Republican agenda will be readily visible. The power of a majority in both houses of Congress should not be underestimated. The party will be able to determine what bills come to the floor, and even more important, determine the rules of debate. This will ensure that the Republican leadership maintains control of the legislative agenda.

The agenda will again be dominated by homeland security. Even following the establishment of a cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security, the fight against terrorism will continue to be the centerpiece of the Republican agenda in the 108th Congress as issues relating to the reach of the new department are decided. The party will also try to strengthen its domestic record by pushing for the enactment of a limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare seniors that would be offered through private insurers. And although the conservative core of the GOP would love to make permanent last year's $1.35 trillion, 10-year tax cut package, it will likely strive to make permanent only one or two elements of the tax cut--led by the repeal of the estate tax.

The Democratic Party will truly be an opponent for the next two years as the GOP will have only itself to blame for policy or political shortcomings; the GOP will also be allowed to take credit for all successes. Its core constituency is likely to place increasing demands on the leadership at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to move forward with elements of the party's conservative social and economic agenda, making bipartisan compromises more difficult to reach.

The Democratic Party will be able to rally its base in opposition to elements of the GOP's agendas. More important, party leaders will be able to position themselves as outsiders as they frame what is likely to become an increasingly partisan debate. Democratic gubernatorial victories in key electoral states, while overlooked in the aftermath of the November election, will play an essential role in the resurgence of the Democratic Party in 2004.

As previously stated, this election marked the first time in U.S. history that the president's party gained seats in the House during the administration's first midterm elections. In fact, the two presidents who have had better-than-average showings in their midterm elections since World War II--Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush--were defeated for second terms. As we move into the 108th Congress, one cannot help but wonder if the historic 2002 election will become a historical footnote to the presidential election of 2004.

Joey R. Weedon is manager of government affairs for the American Correctional Association. He can be reached at [phone]; [e-mail].