Getting Elected to Congress

1. Getting Elected to Congress Considering the information above, why is it that the vast majority of the members of Congress have been reelected to multiple terms in both houses?

2. Incumbency • Over the past 50 years 90% of House incumbents and 75% of Senate incumbents seeking reelection win. • Simply being an incumbent is the most important factor in winning a congressional election. • If Congress as an institution is viewed in such a negative light by the general public why does this happen? • Most Americans view Congress as an institution negatively but they feel that their Congressman does a good job. • Incumbents run for Congress by running against it.

3. Money • Incumbents are able to raise funds more easily than challengers. • PAC’s are more willing to contribute to incumbents. • Incumbents are able to spend more than challengers.

4. Visibility • Incumbents benefit from having more name recognition. • Incumbents attract media attention much more easily than challengers do. • Most freshmen in Congress benefit from the sophomore surge when they seek reelection the first time.

5. Constituent Service • Members of Congress engage in casework. • Casework – helping individual constituents with specific problems. • Pork Barrel Politics – Incumbents can steer federal $ to their home state/district. • Committee Assignments – enable incumbents to engage in pork barrel politics very easily.

6. Franking • Incumbents have the privilege of sending free mail to all of their constituents. • This can include emails and recorded phone messages. • By pointing out all of the good they are doing the district they are in effect campaigning through this mode of communication.

7. Gerrymandering • Congressional districts are redrawn every 10 years. • Many times these districts are gerrymandered to be “safe” for incumbents. • Safe District – A congressional district in which the incumbent wins election with 55% or more of the popular vote. • Gerrymandering of this nature discourages potentially strong challengers. • Can even be used to defeat an incumbent if the opposing party is in power in the state legislature.

8. Consequences of the Incumbency Advantage • Congress contains a large number of experienced leaders. This leads to continuity. • Continuity discourages radical change and encourages close relationships between legislators and interest groups and lobbyists. • Since incumbents benefit from campaign finance law there is to real incentive to reform it.