What advantages do Congressional incumbents have in retaining their seats in Congress? Why?
What will be an ideal response?
Congressional incumbents have a tremendous theoretical advantage in retaining their seats in Congress against the average challenger. In fact, between 80% and 90% of congressional incumbents will win reelection in any given election year. This is because they have access to information, name recognition, and a variety of “perks” that are afforded to members of Congress, like the franking privilege, which allows incumbents to mail campaign literature for free. Another is the free publicity and air time they can receive just for attending an event or supporting a bill. Additionally, Congressmen and -women are courted continuously by special interests and others who make generous donations into their “war chests” so as to give them a large financial advantage in obtaining reelection. Also, if the Congress member is doing a decent job, they have the advantage of courting retrospective voters who vote on the reputation and name recognition of the incumbent. These are advantages that most challengers cannot overcome. The only real opportunity for an unknown challenger to win a seat in Congress is generally in an unseated election in which there is no incumbent to run against. When challenging an incumbent, success is possible but it is best for a challenger to have name recognition and extensive campaign funds.
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