Which of the following would increase turnover in congressional membership?

Which of the following would increase turnover in congressional membership?

• A. Term limits
• B. Credit claiming
• C. Franking privileges
• D. Incumbency advantage

Answer: (A)

Turnover in congressional membership is driven by how easy it is for an incumbent to stay in office versus how often new candidates can win. Implementing term limits would increase turnover because they cap how long a person can serve, guaranteeing departures after a set period and creating more open seats for challengers. The other options all help incumbents stay in office: credit claiming boosts an incumbent’s popularity by showing constituents the benefits they've secured, franking privileges make it cheaper to communicate with voters, and the general incumbency advantage includes name recognition, fundraising networks, and committee influence. These factors make re-election more likely, reducing turnover.

Turnover in congressional membership is driven by how easy it is for an incumbent to stay in office versus how often new candidates can win. Implementing term limits would increase turnover because they cap how long a person can serve, guaranteeing departures after a set period and creating more open seats for challengers. The other options all help incumbents stay in office: credit claiming boosts an incumbent’s popularity by showing constituents the benefits they've secured, franking privileges make it cheaper to communicate with voters, and the general incumbency advantage includes name recognition, fundraising networks, and committee influence. These factors make re-election more likely, reducing turnover.