INSPECTED BY NUMBER-1184063113 - THE INFLUENCE OF INCUMBENTS COMPETENCE AND INTEGRITY IN US HOUSE ELECTIONS

Theory: We argue that voters, as principals, evaluate congressional ca ndidates in terms of whether those candidates will act as effective ag ents. Hypotheses: U.S. House incumbents' levels of competence and inte grity influence both the individual-level vote choice and voters' eval uations of their representatives. Methods: Indicators of competence an d integrity for representatives who entered the House between 1969 and 1981 are merged with the NES cumulative file, with data for the 1976- 92 elections. The relationship between incumbent quality and electoral choice is explored in a series of OLS regression and logistic regress ion models. Results: Incumbents levels of integrity bring direct influ ence on both feeling thermometer scores and the vote choice. Competenc e exerts an indirect effect on the vote by influencing the behavior of prospective challengers.