But elections are also about people -- the kind of people who want to run for federal office. And we at AOL News wanted to get a better sense of just who these people are.
So rather than asking a bunch of boring policy questions, we invited candidates for the House and Senate to answer 10 mostly fun questions. We got a response rate of about 5 percent. And while the results aren't exactly scientifically valid, they are still pretty interesting.
Click on any question to see a summary of the results.
The Fun Stuff
Q) Everyone is angry with politicians in Washington. Why do you want to be one of them?
Warner Brothers / Everett Collection
Q) What's the one thing you couldn't live without?
Q) If you could choose, what one superpower would you like to have?
Q) What do you do when you need some "me" time?
Q) How long can you go without checking your BlackBerry?
Q) What's your dream car?
Q) What's the funniest thing that's happened to you while campaigning?
Stan Honda, AFP / Getty Images
The Serious Stuff
Q) In 50 words or less, what's the first thing the new Congress should do to improve the economy?
Q) In 50 words or less, what's the biggest threat facing the country today?
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