In American politics - to get legislation passed and change laws - it takes both the executive branch - the President - and the legislative branch - the U.S. Congress - working together and finding comon ground to get things done.
And that's why the elections for the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the U.S. Senate - 34 seats in that chamber - is nearly as important as the race for the White House.
Here's our U.S. correspondent Priscilla Huff
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Every two years all 435 seats in the U.S. House of representatives are up for re-election.
And who ends up in power up here on Capitol Hill matters - because it determines how much the President can get done.
The Democrats are increasingly optimistic, they will gain seats in the lower chamber of the U.S. Congress
Nancy Pelosi is their leader in the House.
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"We have in all of our three Ms met our goals and beyond - messaging - mobilization - owning the ground and money. We did very well last month and every month before that
So, I think we're in a good place and the um, again, it's all about the ground."
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The so-called ground game is all about getting voters to the polls.
Hillary Clinton has made a point of supporting local candidates
In contrast, Paul Ryan, the leader of the House Republicans, has largely kept silent about Donald Trump after one too many scandals until a recent interview on the Fox News Channel.
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"I stand where I've stood all fall and all summer. In fact, I've already voted here in Janesville for our candidate last week in early voting. We need to support our entire Republican ticket."
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That said,
Following on the investigations into Hillary Clintons use of a personal email server
and how she responded to the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi Libya in 2012
House Republicans have already promised,
if Hillary clinton wins the White House, they will investigate her for years.
Michael Bailey is a Professor of government and public policy at Georgetown University
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"If we see President Hillary Clinton and a Republican Congress, there will be gridlock."
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But the stakes may be even higher in the other chamber, the U.S. Senate.
Donald Trump and his campaign is the real elephant in the room for the 34 Senate seats up for re-election
And the leader of the Senate Republicans, Mitch McConnell has flatly refused to comment.
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"This is not something I'm gonna discuss today, the implications ofthe presidential race on the Senate."
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But the democrats are happy to
Senator Chuck Schumer - the expected next leader of the Senate Democrats -
is hoping this message is heard
in other states:
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(SUPER: Chuck Schumer, Senator, Democrat from New York)
"I think we will win a majority in the Senate. //CUT// the public's on our side. The electorate's getting more Democratic. The Republican party is a shambles and their candidates can't, their incumbent senators can't make up their minds what to do with Trump but most of all, the public knows that we're on the side of the middle class."
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Senator Mitch McConnell wants the the Republicans to remain in control of the U.S. Senate
but he's a bit more honest about their prospects:
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"We've got 24 members up, they've only got 10 it's pretty obvious this was going to be a really challenging cycle for us. !"
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The polls have confirmed, with swings on a near daily basis, the Democrats may win control of the U.S. Senate.
Professor Michael Bailey of Georgetown University.
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"so the prospects for change on the Senate side are much much better for the Democrats! in fact I think it's close but on balance most people are predicting the Democrats could win or come very close to winning control, that is getting to the 50 percent mark."
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With just days to go
Roll Call reports that top staffers on Capitol Hill think the republicans will retain control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress,
even if Donald Trump loses the White House.
But that result will mean continued political gridlock in Washington,
if the Democrats control the executive branch and the Republicans the legislative branch.
Priscilla Huff, Washington
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