News Release

September 5, 2002

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Scholars Question Health of American Political Process
Lack of competition and undue attention to voter turnout obscure real issues

WASHINGTON -- The perception that this November's election is a horse race for control of Congress overshadows the overall poor health of the American political system. A new Cato Institute Policy Analysis argues that the American political process is jeopardized by a lack of competition and a preoccupation with voter participation.

In "Election 2002 and the Problems of American Democracy," John Samples and Patrick Basham, scholars in the Cato Institute's Center for Representative Government, argue that the lack of competition in elections has a serious negative effect on the well-being of the political system. The advantage incumbents have in elections from media exposure, pork barrel spending, free travel, and access to the public through their district offices makes it difficult for them to be defeated. The lack of term limits and a Congress full of career politicians only aggravate that problem.

Unwarranted attention paid to voter turnout also serves to eclipse the incumbent advantage. Samples and Basham write that concern over voter participation is unfounded because such participation has remained at the same level since 1974.

"An election that either ushers in a new era of expanded government or further cements the advantages of incumbency will serve neither the representative nor democratic functions of our political system," conclude Samples and Basham.

"Election 2002 and the Problems of American Democracy"