Entrenched politicians

Long-term political incumbents

Nature

Political incumbents have advantages which preserve their ability to stay in office -- access to funds to overwhelm underfinanced challengers, paid staff that tend to constituents' problems, government privileges which provide opportunities for self-promotion, often as "official business", access to research and media, and carefully gerrymandered districts that ensure solid blocs of support on re-election day.

Background

The issue of entrenched politicians gained global prominence in the late 20th century, as observers noted persistent incumbency and resistance to political renewal across diverse regimes. Scholarly attention intensified following post-Cold War democratization, when reform movements highlighted how long-serving officials could hinder institutional change. International organizations and watchdogs increasingly documented the phenomenon, linking it to governance challenges and sparking debates on term limits and political accountability in both established and emerging democracies.

Incidence

98% of incumbent congress members in the USA who seek re-election have been successful in recent years. For example, in 1998, House incumbents ended up running unopposed in 95 districts, while in 127 they faced only token opposition; a record 98.5 percent of them were reelected, collecting an average of more than 70 percent of the vote.

Claim

In an ideal world, a people that reelects almost 99 percent of its leaders would seem to be happy with them. But in the real world, you only have to win once to become a permanent fixture in a rotting political establishment.

Counter-claim

The notion that entrenched politicians are a major problem is vastly overstated. Experienced leaders provide stability, institutional memory, and effective governance. Constant turnover would only lead to chaos and inefficiency. Voters have the power to remove politicians if they truly desire change. Focusing on entrenched politicians distracts from real issues like policy substance and economic growth. This so-called problem is simply not worth the attention it receives in public discourse.