1. Incumbency in Congress
How do members of Congress have certain advantages?

2. Who are incumbents?
Incumbents: the status of holding a political office.
Politicians holding office right now are incumbents.
Members of the House & the Senate can be incumbents for as long a they can win elections:
There are NO TERM LIMITS in Congress!

3. What does it take to be a successful incumbent in Congress?

4. DISCUSS!
What do the following 2 slides tell you about the influence of incumbency on the congressional elections?

7. Conclusions •Incumbents are re-elected at very high rates.
•Members of the House (Congressmen) are re- elected more often than members of the Senate (Senators).
•If you’re going to defeat an incumbent, it usually takes a lot of money.

8. DISCUSS!
How can you explain the information presented in the following 2 slides?

11. What’s going on here?

12. Why do they get reelected?
Congressional approval ratings can generally be low, BUT
Voters can still like their congressmen and senators.
Incumbents enjoy some institutional advantages that allow them to overcome even serious challengers.

13. Some of the Perks! Free haircuts •Franking Privilege (“free postage”)
•Base Salary = $174,000
•Health & Life Insurance
•Retirement provisions
•Office Space
•Free travel (car service, limos)
•Free airport parking
•Expensive “fact-finding” trips (junkets)
•Insider Trading!

14. Which guy is the incumbent?

15. What are the advantages?
Institutional Advantages: qualities that give people associated with particular places, jobs, or schools a competitive edge.
Based on your analysis, which of the following “institutional advantages” are MOST HELPFUL to incumbents?

16. When do incumbents lose elections?

21. #1- Wave Elections
Definition: Elections in which voters are dissatisfied with the political status quo and blame 1 party for their unhappiness (usually the one in power).
They can sweep out incumbents in a general purge.
They affect both parties:
1994: GOP swept out Dems due to Clinton’s tinkering with health care.
2006: Dems swept out GOP due to Bush’s mishandling of Iraq.
2014: GOP swept out Dems due to Obamacare and general dissatisfaction with the economy.

22. #2 -The Power of Scandal!
Scandals tend to result in incumbent losses or their resignation or their failure to seek re- election.

23. #3- Open Seats (no incumbent) are the path to Congressional Change
Democratic Open Seats: California, Nevada, Maryland
Republican Open Seats: Florida, Louisiana, Indiana

24. But, sometimes stability wins!
Incumbents provide stability in Congress.
They learn skills as they serve and pass them along to incoming members via mentoring.
Some say they tend to stay too long and block needed change.
John Conyers, D-MI
Dean of the House (Jan.1965-)
Orrin Hatch, UT
Senior Senator (Jan.1977-)

25. Summary: Should Congress use Term Limits to limit the power of incumbents?