swing state – n. a US state in which the Democratic and Republican candidates both have a good chance of winning (also called “battleground state”)

region – n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way

sold out – phrasal verb to do something that does not agree with your beliefs, values, etc., especially in order to make money

standard of living – n. the amount of wealth, comfort and possessions that a person or group has

knocked down – adj. informal reduced; lowered

benefit – n. something extra (such as vacation time or health insurance) that is given by an employer to workers in addition to their regular pay

pension – n. an amount of money that a company or the government pays to a person who is old or sick and no longer works

confident – adj. certain that something will happen or that something is true

flip – v. to change; to return to a previous position, opinion or belief

sample – n. a group of people or things that are taken from a larger group and studied, tested, or questioned to get information