American Government

American Government

Question 1: Identify and explain 4 advantages available to incumbents?

The incumbency advantage refers to the fact that those who already hold a particular seat in government are overwhelmingly likely to be reelected to that seat if they seek to run for another term. This advantage applies to virtually all elective offices, from local positions such as city council members and mayors to state-level offices such as governors and lieutenant governors, to national-level offices such as U.S. representatives and senators. Following are the four advantages available to incumbents:

Members of Congress have numerous resources at their disposal not only to help them serve their constituents but also to aid them at reelection time. Each member of the House and Senate has an office in Washington, D.C. In addition, each member of Congress also has several offices in the local community or state that he or she represents.

Incumbents are also at a distinct advantage over challengers in terms of their financial resources. Interest groups are disproportionately likely to donate campaign contributions to those who are already in office.

Another significant advantage that helps incumbents stay in office is largely the result of the congressional benefits and campaign donations previously discussed: Incumbents have significantly higher name recognition than do those who challenge them for their seats. Incumbents have already gained name recognition through running at least one successful campaign. In addition, their recognition increases with their tenure in office and with the supply of benefits they are able to provide to their districts or states.

Incumbents have a further advantage in name recognition once a campaign starts due to their advantage in bringing in campaign contributions. Incumbents have significantly more money at their disposal to use in campaign commercials and for campaign materials such as bumper stickers and yard signs (Losco & Baker, 2012).

Question 2: Explain how age, income and education are tied to political participation?

Political participation can be regarded as a very dynamic and diverse relationships form a mass of individuals, organizational and power structures, structures over political power and control. Political participation is primarily the sum of all the voluntary activities by which members of a society involved in the selection of rulers and, in a direct or indirect, in the formation or construction of government policies. People who seek to increase their economic well-being through the use of political means (involved in political parties, political office, become public servants, etc.). Some individuals participate in politics by the psychological need to fill needs for prestige, power, domination, competition, respect and, sometimes, failure, are also involved in understanding their environment and thus form more effectively grasp the reality that surrounds them (Losco & Baker, 2012).

Question 3: How are solidary benefits used as incentives to join an interest group?

Interest group activism has been the subject of debate over the years. Where some have argued that interest groups function within a competitive system with multiple access points to the political process, others have argued that government has actually been captured by organized ...