1. Gerrymandering

2. Gerrymandering
Definition – Manipulate congressional district boundaries to favor one party over another
Reapportionment – the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives to each state after the census every 10 years
Redistricting – Redrawing of the boundaries of the districts within each state
Carried out by State Legislators
Whichever party controls the State Legislature will attempt to maximize their number of reps at expense of minority party

3. Power of Incumbency Incumbent – Official currently holding office
In % of House Reps were reelected while 93% of Senators were
Incumbents possess better name recognition and a voting track record
If a political party is able to gerrymander districts to gain an advantage, the power of incumbency allows them to control those seats for many years

4. Divided Government
Divided government occurs when one party controls Presidency while other party controls Congress
Most recent example – Barack Obama’s last few years in office
Creates Congressional Gridlock
Majority Party in Congress sets the agenda. When government is divided, the President’s agenda is disrupted
Parties tend to work against each other rather than engage in debate and compromise