# Do most people actually realize you reelect Congress every two years? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 6, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185 "2012-12-06T14:36:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oedipus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/1 "2012-12-06T14:36:01Z")
I mean, holy fuck…You hear all this hooplah about the government doing this and that and how no one likes them on the whole (somehow they have climbed back to a 16% approval rate). Yet, you rarely see an huge shifts in Congress and they always have a low turnout rate in elections compared to the Presidential elections. What gives? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/2 "2012-12-06T14:37:21Z")
Most people are thoroughly disgusted with Congress and want to kick them all out – except _their_ representative, _he’s_ a nice guy who fights for me. So that’s why there is so little turnover. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/3 "2012-12-06T14:37:59Z")
It’s because while everyone hates your congressman they’re pretty happy about theirs. ---
**Author:** ![Oedipus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/4 "2012-12-06T14:41:46Z")
Is it a lack of specific accountablility on the part of the media? Would we be more apt to vote out people if the media showed how big of douchebags each of them are? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/5 "2012-12-06T14:42:47Z")
The devil you know… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/6 "2012-12-06T14:53:45Z")
To nitpick, you reelect the House of Representative every two years. The Senate is on a staggered 6 year cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/7 "2012-12-06T14:58:10Z")
> [@Oedipus](#): > > Is it a lack of specific accountablility on the part of the media? Would we be more apt to vote out people if the media showed how big of douchebags each of them are? How so? That’s just the biased media picking on them. Again, **your** Representative is a corrupt scumbag. **My** representative is a paragon of virtue who fights for his/her constituents. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/8 "2012-12-06T15:01:06Z")
For the House, it’s all about the gerrymandering. So many districts are constructed to be safe for one party or the other that barring a completely unacceptable candidate, the favored party is going to win. Most incumbents who get nominated have very easy election victories. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/9 "2012-12-06T15:11:27Z")
> [@Oedipus](#): > > Yet, you rarely see an huge shifts in Congress Except for three out of the last four election cycles… ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/10 "2012-12-06T15:35:40Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > For the House, it’s all about the gerrymandering. So many districts are constructed to be safe for one party or the other that barring a completely unacceptable candidate, the favored party is going to win. Most incumbents who get nominated have very easy election victories. Yes. Most Congressional Districts are certainties for one party; it’s gotten worse after the latest redistricting. In a fair portion of the districts, the incumbent runs unopposed, without even a token opponent. Worse, since the Republican candidates’ only worry is the _primary_ where extremists are over-represented, the electoral process favors fringe candidates, e.g. Tea Partyists. In an earlier thread I introduced a simple fix that would counter this at least somewhat-- base Congressional seniority not on longevity but on _votes received_ in the most recent general election. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/11 "2012-12-06T17:44:32Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > In an earlier thread I introduced a simple fix that would counter this at least somewhat-- base Congressional seniority not on longevity but on _votes received_ in the most recent general election. Oh, God, that sounds even worse. So the Senators from moderate states get no seniority, and the Senators from extreme states on both sides automatically get lots of it? That’s even worse than what we have now. At least now you can lose a primary and a state will lose its seniority for a decade. With that system, moderate states get permanently screwed. I’m assuming you meant proportion of votes received, because in terms of actual votes received, that just makes small states weaker. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/12 "2012-12-06T18:59:15Z")
> [@Oedipus](#): > > Is it a lack of specific accountablility on the part of the media? Would we be more apt to vote out people if the media showed how big of douchebags each of them are? Have you concluded that each member of Congress is a douchebag because you dislike the whole institution and its constituent parts, or do you actually have information on the doucheness of each of the 535 members? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/13 "2012-12-06T19:19:27Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > It’s because while everyone hates your congressman they’re pretty happy about theirs. Exactly. Take the case of Nancy Pelosi, a very polarizing figure. She’s highly disliked by many people all over the country, everywhere except by people in her district. There she won 85% of the vote. ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/14 "2012-12-06T19:55:45Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > For the House, it’s all about the gerrymandering. So many districts are constructed to be safe for one party or the other that barring a completely unacceptable candidate, the favored party is going to win. Most incumbents who get nominated have very easy election victories. As an example, the Republicans redrew the Congressional districts in Pennsylvania, and this year [Republicans captured 13 of the 18 seats even though if you add up the votes for the Congressional Democratics candidates and the votes for the Congressional Republican candidates across the state, you find that more voters actually voted for a Democrat than a Republican](http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local//off-mic/47078-with-gop-drawn-boundaries-pa-congressional-voters-come-up-short). ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/15 "2012-12-06T20:12:59Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Exactly. Take the case of Nancy Pelosi, a very polarizing figure. She’s highly disliked by many people all over the country, everywhere except by people in her district. There she won 85% of the vote. True but the people of San Francisco would vote for a pile of rocks versus any Republican. They may not like her at all although those who think about it probably like such a powerful Congressperson representing them. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/16 "2012-12-06T21:14:45Z")
I’ll put down my rabidly partisan congressman when you put down yours. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/17 "2012-12-06T21:18:22Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > True but the people of San Francisco would vote for a pile of rocks versus any Republican. They may not like her at all although those who think about it probably like such a powerful Congressperson representing them. If she’s got that safe a seat, and if they didn’t like her at all, she’d be easy to primary, you’d think. She may be a polarizing figure, but that also may mean that a lot of people really, really like her. I certainly do. Also, it’s seemingly possible for certain media and media figures (Fox, Rush) to turn anyone into a polarizing figure. Everybody seems to agree now that Bill Clinton is great, but that’s not how they played it 15 years ago. And hating on Hillary was a staple with them. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/18 "2012-12-06T21:21:00Z")
> [@jshore](#): > > As an example, the Republicans redrew the Congressional districts in Pennsylvania, and this year [Republicans captured 13 of the 18 seats even though if you add up the votes for the Congressional Democratics candidates and the votes for the Congressional Republican candidates across the state, you find that more voters actually voted for a Democrat than a Republican](http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local//off-mic/47078-with-gop-drawn-boundaries-pa-congressional-voters-come-up-short). And it was hardly the only state in that situation. Ohio was very similar. Nationally, Dem House candidates got more votes than GOP House candidates, and yet the GOP will outnumber the Dems by \>30 in the new House in January. So it wasn’t one of these ‘both sides do it’ things. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/19 "2012-12-06T21:36:53Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > If she’s got that safe a seat, and if they didn’t like her at all, she’d be easy to primary, you’d think. Pelosi? Any Democrat who tried to primary her would have a very short career in politics. She is way too powerful. > [@](#): > > She may be a polarizing figure, but that also may mean that a lot of people really, really like her. I certainly do. But a lot of people do like her there. I do think that she’d win regardless. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185/20 "2012-12-06T22:29:35Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Pelosi? Any Democrat who tried to primary her would have a very short career in politics. She is way too powerful. > > But a lot of people do like her there. I do think that she’d win regardless. Exactly my point. It’s not just that she’s a Democrat. She’s really well liked in her district. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-people-actually-realize-you-reelect-congress-every-two-years/643185.md?page=2)