It may have been true 20, 30, or 40 years ago that members of Congress could evade accountability for Congress’s overall activities, but rising polarization has enabled voters to punish or reward Representatives for Congress’s collective performance.
Shortly before the 2008 Congressional elections, only 36% believed that most members of Congress deserved reelection. These numbers were [...]
The authors have identified a cheap, easy way to capture a fuller sample of current campaign messages.
We’ve long known that most voters pay little attention to campaign rhetoric; they pay far more attention to partisanship, incumbency, and other easily accessible considerations (although rhetoric certainly has its place). Still, candidates work hard to develop arguments that, [...]
Democracy is supposed to provide voters with an opportunity to hold elected officials accountable for their performance in office. With so many elected officials to monitor, however, voters would have a difficult time fulfilling this task without assistance.
Previous research has indicated that experienced, high-quality candidates are more likely to challenge Congressional incumbents when there is [...]
If democracy requires rotation in power, then the American Congress may not be all that democratic.
If democracy requires rotation in power, then the American Congress may not be all that democratic. In 1998, 2000, and 2002, over ninety-six percent of House incumbents who have sought reelection have won. These facts are clear.
What is less clear [...]
My name is Adam Brown. I am an assistant professor of political science. (Learn more.) I own the site and write most of the posts, although anybody can contribute. You can read more about this site here.
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