The Paradox of Congressional Approval Ratings and Re-Election Rates
This lecture explores the paradox of low congressional approval ratings but high re-election rates for members of Congress.
00:00:02 This lecture explores the paradox of low congressional approval ratings but high re-election rates for members of Congress.
📊 Congress has consistently low approval ratings, but members are consistently re-elected at high rates.
📉 Congressional job approval is usually around 30%, reaching a low point in 2013.
🗳️ 60-90% of senators seeking re-election and 80-95% of House representatives seeking re-election are successful.
00:01:54 Despite low approval ratings, members of Congress are often re-elected due to representation and their connection with their districts.
👥 Senators tend to represent entire states while members of Congress mostly represent districts within states.
🗳️ Re-election rates for senators are lower than those for members of Congress due to competitive states.
🤝 Members of Congress can act as trustees or delegates in representing their districts.
00:03:47 Members of Congress have to balance their own political convictions with the needs of their constituents to ensure re-election. They provide constituency service and listen to their constituents' priorities.
🗳️ Members of Congress balance their own political convictions with the needs of their constituents.
💼 Members of Congress spend significant time fundraising and providing constituency service.
🏛️ Congressional staff help run the offices both in Washington and the district.
00:05:38 Members of Congress provide constituency service and secure pork-barrel projects for their districts, which helps build goodwill and aids their re-election.
🏛️ Members of Congress provide constituency service to help resolve issues with federal agencies.
💵 Members of Congress can secure pork-barrel projects for their districts, which can have a positive impact and contribute to their re-election.
🏢 Members of Congress may influence the location of federal facilities in their districts.
00:07:32 Members of Congress cater their messages to district voters, using tactics to appeal to constituents. They often talk about agriculture or urban issues. These strategies contribute to their incumbency advantage.
🏛️ Members of Congress cater their messages to district voters, using tactics that appeal to their constituents.
🍽️ Some members of Congress host free dinners for constituents to build loyalty.
🌾🏙️ Members of Congress focus on issues specific to their district, such as agriculture or urban concerns.
🗳️ Members of Congress benefit from the incumbency advantage, making it challenging for challengers to win elections.
00:09:22 Class 12a; The Counterintuitive Congress I: The importance of incumbency advantage and the different forms of representation in Congress.
👥 Incumbency advantage leads voters to re-elect current elected officials.
✅ Substantive representation: Congress members voting according to voters' preferences.
🌐 Descriptive representation: Congress members sharing characteristics with constituents.
👩⚖️🌈 Increased representation of women and diversity in Congress.
00:11:14 Members of Congress have impressive wealth, with median wealth ranging from $500,000 to $2 million. Americans re-elect them despite a disfavorable opinion of Congress as a whole.
💰 The median wealth of members of Congress has remained relatively stable since 2008.
💼 US senators tend to have higher wealth compared to members of the US House of Representatives.
🗳️ Members of Congress are often re-elected due to their knowledge of their districts and effective campaigning.
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