Essay Plan: Evaluate the view that incumbency advantage makes Presidential & Congressional elections not fit for purpose

Power of incumbency (presidential + congressional)

Name recognition – not fit

 Susan Collins 2002 elected 58% to 42% but 2014, 68% to 32%
 Obama – John Wolfe – 117,000 votes, 1.7% popular vote
 Trump – Bill Weld – 2.35% popular vote, 1 delegate



 AOC defeated Joseph Crawley (chair of Dem caucus)
 HW Bush 1992, Pat Buchanan
o Uncovered faults in tax rises and defence spending cuts


Pork barrelling – not fit

 Big Dig, Boston - $14 billion for 3.5 miles
 Lisa Murkowski – bridge to nowhere $400 million
 Rob Bryd 51 years as a Senator



 2020 Senate – 3 flipped seats
o Alabama to Republican
o Arizona to Democrat
o Colorado to Democrat

Lobbying

 Joe Manchin 2021, $4.8million in fundraising
$300,000 after voting against Build Back Better
 2016, Congressional candidates averaged $1.16million fundraising



 Acts e.g. Bi Partisan Campaign Reform Act that limits money
 This money is necessary
o 2015, Ted Cruz announced he was running 11 months before first primary, Obama
still had just under 2 years left in office
o Biden announced he was funning April 2019, first primary August 2020