CONGRESSIONAL TENURE - MYTH AND REALITY

Congressional tenure is longer now than in earlier times, but it is la rgely a myth that the era of the professional politician is a modern p henomenon. Here, tenure is compared between the 57th and 86th Congress es. Tenure is linked to a simple median voter model. Increased tenure is associated with an increased ability to transfer government expendi tures to the political unit. The increased size of government at the t ime of the 86th Congress compared to the 57th Congress, largely explai ns the greater length of time in office. The higher tenure of southern legislators is linked to lower per capita incomes.