[EM] What if...

[Joe Weinstein]

David C. et al:

This American on the EM-list thanks you for your 'what-if' forwarded 
message, which cites some of the current aspects of our obviously superior 
USA Presidential selection system.

To complement your message let me note some current aspects of our obviously 
superior USA Congressional election system.

This note will in fact serve to reply to a question posted about two months 
ago to this EM list from one of your countrymen (and thus far apparently 
unanswered for the case of the USA).  The question was whether in other 
lands besides Australia it is customary for the currently governing parties 
to appeal for votes on the basis of a vicious-circle claim: the voters would 
have more influence if their representative were 'in the government'.

US Congressional election campaigns feature few such vicious-circle claims 
on behalf of the majority PARTY.  There is merely a plethora of individual 
vicious-circle claims on behalf of INDIVIDUAL INCUMBENT members of Congress 
of BOTH major parties (both for intra-party primaries and in the final 
elections).  Thanks to the seniority systems in use in awarding 
Congressional committee posts, an incumbent of either major party has a 
citable advantage, usually presented - softly but unmistakably - in claims 
such as 'I can do more for this district'.

Joe Weinstein
Long Beach CA USA
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