The Victorious incumbent - Albert Somit

This book examines the extent to which the electoral success of incumbent legislators poses a threat to democratic government in nine countries: Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. - - An introductory chapter looks at the nature and extent of the problem in general terms and includes a specific list of issues that will be examined including: the present pattern of incumbent success; what factors are at work in the furthering of incumbent electoral victory; and to what degree does incumbent success pose a threat to effective democratic government. - - Following chapters look specifically at the nine countries previously mentioned in light of these four issues. A final chapter summarizes the findings and assesses the pros and cons of the proposed corrective measures. - - Due to its unusually wide scope, this book would be especially important for those in the fields of comparative government and politics and also political sociology and research methodology.