January 23, 2015 Incumbency Advantages… Objective Objective: Basic understanding of Congress

I. Basic Characteristics 1. MEMBERSHIP Elite Class Theory 2. COMPENSATION/PERKS 27 th amend. Perks: 1.Franking Privilege 2.Junkets 3.Others (healthcare, pension, travel, barber, gym, etc.) What are the 5 most common ways you get to know Congress and Challengers

Incumbency Advantages Objective Objective: …understand the scope and advantages for congressional incumbents

I. Scope of incumbency advantages Earmarks VS. Pork Permanent Congress Safe Seats II. Advantages 1.Name rec. 2.Staffers 3.Patronage 4.Constituent Work 1.Pork, earmarks, casework 5.Monetary advantage 6.Weak 7.Gerrymandering (safe seats)

I. Incumbency advantages Gerrymandering: –Reapportionment-10 years –Boundaries redrawn WA State: bipartisan commission of 5 people –Packing vs. Cracking Effects of Gerrymandering: –“Safe” seats –Party in power STAYS –Strangely-shaped districts –Baker v. Carr, 1962-”one man, one vote” –Wesberry v. Sanders, 1964 –Shaw v. Reno, 1993 –Miller v. Johnson, 1995

Gerrymandering: Supreme Court 1.District lines equal in population 2.District lines: contiguous 3.Cannot dilute racial minority voting 4.“Communities of interest”