House of Representatives Campaigning in the United States
U.S. House of Representatives: House Membership Campaigning for the House
Introduction to House of Representatives Campaigning
Most representatives start their political careers in state or local government before they run for election to the House. These years of experience give them time to become familiar with issues affecting their districts, and it gives voters a chance to learn about the candidates.
Once they have demonstrated their leadership skills in local or state government, House candidates must find a way to raise enough money to run an effective campaign. The large size of the districts today makes it difficult and expensive to win election to the House. Most House campaigns rely on radio and television advertisements to reach voters. This television and radio time is very costly. Most campaigns also rely on direct-mail campaign leaflets sent directly to voters. Advertisements and direct mail are usually the largest expenses in running for a House seat. In 2000 the average winning House candidate spent $832,000 on his or her campaign. (U.S. Senate elections are usually even more expensive than House races because Senate candidates must try to win votes across an entire state. In 2000 the average winning Senate campaign spent more than $7 million, mostly on television and radio advertisements.)
The high cost of campaigns influences who wins House elections and how representatives act when they are in office. Incumbents-those who already have seats in the House-have a strong fund-raising advantage because donors tend to favor candidates who have shown that they can win an election. Although incumbents usually have a head start in campaigns because it is easier for them to raise money, incumbency can be a disadvantage if voters believe that their representatives have lost touch or are putting their careers ahead of the people they represent.
Because of the high cost of elections and the short two-year term of office, members of the House campaign almost constantly. They spend much of their time raising campaign funds, and they frequently return to their districts to keep in touch with voters. Because the elections are so frequent, House members tend to pay close attention to how their votes in Congress will be seen in the short term.
House members tend to come from wealthier family backgrounds than average Americans. Few working class people-those who work for others and receive an hourly wage-win election to the House. Racial discrimination has also been a barrier to House membership. Historically, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans have been underrepresented in the House. Racial minorities have gained more seats in the House in recent decades as a result of the civil rights movement, but the proportion of minorities in the House still falls well short of their proportion in the population as a whole. Women have also found it difficult to win election to the House, holding fewer than 4 percent of the seats from the early 20th century through the 1980s. However, women have recently broken new ground; in the 107th Congress (2001-2003), 61 women served in the House, giving them 14 percent of the chamber’s seats.” (1)
Resources
Notes and References
- Information about House of Representatives Campaigning in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia
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