Final answer:
Incumbents usually win reelections with high rates due to the incumbency advantage, which includes factors like name recognition, fundraising, and established political support.
Step-by-step explanation:
Incumbents usually win reelections and have extremely high rates. This prevalence is often termed the incumbency advantage or effect. Factors contributing to this phenomenon include greater name recognition, media coverage, fundraising ability, and a previous record of winning elections. Politically, this impacts the dynamics of elections, as incumbents tend to scare off potential challengers, partly due to the funding disparities and the electoral track record. Furthermore, political parties tend to support incumbents, reinforcing the cycle of reelection.
For example, a notable statistic tells us that in the House of Representatives, incumbency reelection rates have remained between 85 and 100 percent over the past several decades. With such an advantage, the implication is that incumbents navigate campaign financing more effectively, and because of the high probability of reelection, they attract significant donor contributions.