incumbency

Question 1

% of incumbents who were reelected in 2022 HoR elections

Answer 1

94%

Question 2

reason for incumbency: use of office

Answer 2

-more likely to attract funding and support from major donors if they have a track record of supporting their constituents’ and donors’ interests e.g. 2022 senate elections - incumbents raised an average of 29mil which is 14x more than what challengers raised

Question 3

reason for incumbency: safe seats and gerrymandering

Answer 3

-FPTP has created many safe seats
-made worse by gerrymandering - when state legislatures draw up congressional district boundaries to benefit their own party e.g. post-2008 operation REDMAP by republicans

Question 4

reasons for incumbency: pork barrel legislation

Answer 4

-when a representative proposes an amendment to legislation that will benefit a particular group in their constituency to help their chances of reelection
-amendments are known as ‘earmarks’ to bills - often representative will only vote to pass a bill if their earmark gets added
-e.g. bridge to nowhere in alaska to an island with only 50 residents that cost $223mil

Question 5

how primary challenges have threatened incumbents:

Answer 5

-2022 = 14 house incumbents defeated in primaries
-largely involves radicals targeting moderates
-has been important in influencing behaviour of incumbent congress members e.g. threat of a primary challenge was likely why so few republican congressmen/women voted to impeach trump in 2022