The Marketplace of Democracy: A Conference on Electoral Competition and American Politics

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Incumbents have won more than 98 percent of their races for the U.S. House of Representatives since 1998. The electoral advantages of incumbency have also grown for senators and in state and local elections. With rising concern about the dearth of competition, the Cato Institute and the Brookings Institution have come together to sponsor a conference that addresses several vital questions: Does the lack of electoral competition harm American democracy? Why are incumbents virtually certain to be reelected? Does campaign money or redistricting doom challengers? What might be done to increase competition in our elections?

The keynote speaker was Michael Barone, a senior writer for U.S. News & World Report and principal coauthor of The Almanac of American Politics. Among the academic experts speaking were Bruce Cain, Gary Jacobson, Michael Munger, John Mark Hansen, Stephen Ansolabehere, Michael McDonald, Paul Herrnson, and former FEC chair Bradley Smith.

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For more information, call (202) 789-5229 or email [email protected].
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