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.

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

Entrenched politicians are often scapegoated for systemic issues, but they are not the root of the problem. Voter apathy and lack of engagement are far more significant concerns. Blaming seasoned politicians ignores the need for active civic participation and informed voting. Instead of fixating on their tenure, we should focus on empowering citizens to demand accountability and change. The real issue lies in our collective responsibility, not in the presence of long-serving officials.