ABSTRACT
The subject of U.S. House elections has not lacked for attention among American political scientists. Scholars of congressional elections have intently studied the enormous success of incumbents in the post-World War II era and the reasons behind it. Elections matter because they provide the means by which constituents can hold politicians accountable for their actions in government. Many critics castigate members of the U.S. House of Representatives for being insulated from electoral sanction because of uncompetitive districts and being out of touch with their constituents. 1 So any attempt to understand how the dimensions of representation have been altered by the rapid growth of the U.S. population as the size of House has remained constant must include an investigation of the implications for the electoral process.
