CHAPTER 16*CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE:GETTING ELECTED,STAYING ELECTED 371 370 PART FIVE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES first priority of members of Congress because that is what makes the attainment Congress as a Career:The Impact of of their other political goals possible.In Lawrence Dodd's phrase,members of Party Competition and Incumbency Congress strive for electoral mastery-a strong base of popular support that. will free them from constant worry over reelectianWithout such a base, In the nation's first century,service in the Congress was not a career for most of incumbents have little choice but to do those things that will win them votes.In its members.Before 1900 at least a third and sometimes as many as half of the 1984,for example,Jesse Helms promised North Carolina's voters that if he were seats in Congress changed hands at each election.Most members left voluntan- reelected he would remain as head of the Senate Agriculture Committee,even ly.Because travel was slow and arduous,serving in the nation's capital required though he would have preferred the chairmanship of the more prestigious them to spend months away from their families.Many were glad to leave Foreign Relations Committee.Helms was locked in a close (but ultimately Washington,which,because it was built on a swamp,was chillingly damp in the successful)election fight with the state's former governor,James Hunt,and he winter and mosquito-ridden in the summer.And because the national govern- believed that he needed to hold on to his Agriculture chairmanship in order to ment was not the center of power and politics that it is today,many politicians win the support of the many farmers-especially tobacco growers-in his preferred to serve in state capitals. 09 state. The modem Congress is very different.Congress is a career for most of its members.They are professional politicians,and a seat in the U.S.Senate or 牧加w Fortunately for members of Congress,a seat in the House or Senate is itself a Conehave treen oppornitin o public exponsc,mer House is as far as most of them can expect to go in politics.The pay (about Congress have frequent opportunities to publicize thesves,to claim credit 590,000 a year)is reasonably good,and the prestige of their office is substantial for Congress's achievernents,and to pertorm services for their constituents. particularly if they serve in the Senate.A lengthy career in Congress is what Incumbency aise has its liabilities,particularly for 0.S.senators,whose greater most of ns members aspire to attain Today the biggest obstacle to having a lengthy career in Congress is winning a ◆AY2∠THE LSSI0F vistbility and more desirable office make them more attractive targets for potential opponents.On balance,however,incumbency is a substantial advan- seat in the first place.Incumbents,particularly members of the House,have a "Safe Seats" As a result of the advantages tage. good chance of being returned to office again and again(see Table 16-1).5 In of office and weakened A central argument of this chapter is that voters in many congresslonal races recent House elections,about 90 percent of incumbents,on average,have are not presented with a real choice:the advantages of incumbency and party decided to seek reelection,and fewer than 10 percent of them have lost.An now be more competition so strongly favor one candidate that the outcome is hardly in doubt. all-time record was established in 1986 when only 2 percent of House confident than ever before Another central argument is that congressional elections produce senators and incumbents seeking reelection were defeated;that record was tied in 1988. about their chances for representatives who are highly responsive to their own constituencies but less Senate seats are less secure.Since 1970 the success rate of incumbent senators reelection.To what extent is this situabon a damser to Yesponsive to the needs of Congress as a national policymaking body.The main has ranged from a low of 55 percent(1980)to a high of 93 percent (1982). crocy?What might be points presented in this chapter are the following: Nevertheless,Senate incumbents who seek another term have,statistically speaking.a better than 2-to-1 chance of victory. done to cha nge it?Does it Congressional offce provides incumbents with substantial resources (free publicity,staf,and Members of Congress can promote themselves by claiming credit for Congress's achievements,performing services for r1976你627-628：hme9 constituents,and gamnering publicity. "Robert S.E The p Is T 1936-1976,Awericax Politics L.Payne,' The mature and outcome of congressional races depend on mary infsences,but particularly on 0 cober1980465-482:5al whether the incumbent is nening wiether the state or district is electorally competittve,and whether challenger enters the race.House campaigns tend to be less competitive than Senate campaigns. strongly fapor one candidale thet poters hawe no real alteratioe but to confirm that candidate CONSTITUTIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FOR SERVING IN CONGRESS asie choice, Although they serve in a national institution,they are also representative of state and Representattves:"No person shall be a Representative who Senslors "No person shall be a Senator who shall not shall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years,and have attained to the age of thirty years,and been nine local interests,and for many of them,these interests take precedence over national been seven years a citizen of the United States,and who years a citizen of the United States,and who shall not, shall not,when elected,be an inhabitant of that State in when elected,be an inhabitant of the State for which he which he shall be chosen"(Article I,section 2). shall be chosen"(Article I,section 3). Lawrence C.Dodd,"A Theary of Congressional Cycles,"in Gerald Wright,Leroy Rieselbach,and Larenoe C.Dodd,Congrrss sud Policy Cheage (New Yotk:Agathon,1985) David R.Mayhew,Cangres&The Electoral Couection (New Haven.Conn.:Yale University Press 19740.16