Reconsidering "Reconsidering the Trend in Incumbent Vote Percentages in House Elections": A Comment

Authors

  • Gary C. Jacobson

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2374-7781.2003.24.0.241-244

Abstract

Jeffrey M. Stonecash’s Reconsidering the Trend in Incumbent Vote Percentages in House Elections” (2003) is a misguided attempt to offer a revisionist view of the increase in the electoral advantage enjoyed by House incumbents that occurred during the 1960s. His central argument is that one indicator of this trend, the mean vote percentage won by incumbent candidates in contested elections, distorts incumbent support because it leaves out uncontested races. Because the number of uncontested races varies over time, the tally for a fluctuating number of strong incumbents-so well en-trenched no one even takes them on-is left out of the average vote, rendering the measure inaccurate. When this oversight is corrected, there is no trend.

References

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Stonecash, Jeffrey M. 2003. Reconsidering the Trend in Incumbent Vote Percentage in House Elections. American Review of Politics 24:225-239.

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Published

2003-11-01

Issue

Vol. 24: Fall 2003

Section

Articles

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