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Has the Importance of the Incumbency Advantage Diminished in House Elections?
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Has the Importance of the Incumbency Advantage Diminished in
House Elections?
Jeffrey W. Koch
email:## email not listed ##
Department of Political Science and International Relations
State University of New York at Geneseo
Abstract
Prior research maintains that the incumbency advantage has diminished and that
the development of the personal vote is a function of a district’s level of party competitiveness. Some scholars maintain that in those districts where there is a relatively even distribution of partisans the incumbent will work assiduously to develop a personal vote because he is in greater need of this electoral benefit. In those districts that are one-party dominant, those where the incumbent is virtually guaranteed victory because his partisanship matches that of the overwhelming majority of voters, the personal vote will be smaller as the incumbent does not need it. In these districts the incumbent will expend less time and energy for developing a personal vote. The role of incumbency in the voting division has declined modestly since the 1980s, but that decline is limited to Democratic incumbents, and is most likely attributable to the Republican Party producing stronger challengers rather than less effort by incumbents to develop a personal vote. Moreover, the personal vote is not a function of a district’s partisan competitiveness: it is as evident among those incumbents most in need of it as it is among those incumbents in least need of it.
"Prepared for delivery at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, August 30th-September 3, 2006. Copyright by the American Political Science Association."
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Has the Importance of the Incumbency Advantage Diminished in
House Elections?
Jeffrey W. Koch
email:## email not listed ##
Department of Political Science and International Relations
State University of New York at Geneseo
Abstract
Prior research maintains that the incumbency advantage has diminished and that
the development of the personal vote is a function of a district’s level of party
competitiveness. Some scholars maintain that in those districts where there is a relatively
even distribution of partisans the incumbent will work assiduously to develop a personal
vote because he is in greater need of this electoral benefit. In those districts that are one-
party dominant, those where the incumbent is virtually guaranteed victory because his
partisanship matches that of the overwhelming majority of voters, the personal vote will
be smaller as the incumbent does not need it. In these districts the incumbent will expend
less time and energy for developing a personal vote. The role of incumbency in the
voting division has declined modestly since the 1980s, but that decline is limited to
Democratic incumbents, and is most likely attributable to the Republican Party producing
stronger challengers rather than less effort by incumbents to develop a personal vote.
Moreover, the personal vote is not a function of a district’s partisan competitiveness: it is
as evident among those incumbents most in need of it as it is among those incumbents in
least need of it.
"Prepared for delivery at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science
Association, August 30th-September 3, 2006. Copyright by the American Political
Science Association."
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