Reassessing the Incumbency Effect

This book argues that House incumbents have not improved their electoral fortunes in recent decades.

This book argues that the electoral advantage of House incumbents has not increased in recent decades. The interpretation is supported by non-technical data analysis and presentation.Incumbents in the US House of Representatives have increased their vote percentages in recent decades, raising questions about the efficacy of elections in making members responsive. The evidence, however, indicates there has been no improvement in the electoral fortunes of incumbents in the last 50 years. Only Republicans have improved their electoral fortunes as a result of realignment. This valuable book provides a very different interpretation of how incumbents have fared in recent decades, and the interpretation is supported by non-technical data analysis and presentation.