Editing United States Congress (section)

====Citizens and representatives====
[[File:Ĝerimandrado.svg|thumb|alt=two boxes with red dots and blue dots.|In this example, the more even distribution is on the left and the gerrymandering is presented on the right.]]
Senators face reelection every six years, and representatives every two. Reelections encourage candidates to focus their publicity efforts at their home states or districts.<ref name=tws2010Sep11t14dd1/> Running for reelection can be a grueling process of distant travel and fund-raising which distracts senators and representatives from paying attention to governing, according to some critics.<ref>{{cite news| author = Larry J. Sabato| title = An amendment is needed to fix the primary mess| newspaper = USA Today| date = September 26, 2007| url = https://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070926/opcomwednesday.art.htm| access-date = September 20, 2009| archive-date = January 14, 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210114214410/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070926/opcomwednesday.art.htm| url-status = live}}</ref> Although others respond that the process is necessary to keep members of Congress in touch with voters.

[[incumbency|Incumbent]] members of Congress running for reelection have strong advantages over challengers.<ref name=tws2010Sep11jggha/> They raise more money<ref name="tws02oct205"/> because donors fund incumbents over challengers, perceiving the former as more likely to win,<ref name="tws02oct223"/><ref name="tws02oct216"/> and donations are vital for winning elections.<ref>{{cite news| author = Brian Kalish| title = GOP exits to cost party millions| newspaper = USA TODAY| date = May 19, 2008| url = https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-18-PAC_N.htm| access-date = October 1, 2009| archive-date = January 14, 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210114214647/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-18-PAC_N.htm| url-status = live}}</ref> One critic compared election to Congress to receiving [[life tenure]] at a university.<ref name="tws02oct216"/> Another advantage for representatives is the practice of [[gerrymandering]].<ref name=tws2010Sep11ii/><ref>{{cite journal | last = Macedo | first = Stephen | title = Toward a more democratic Congress? Our imperfect democratic constitution: the critics examined | journal = Boston University Law Review | volume = 89 | pages = 609–628 | date = August 11, 2008 | url = https://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache%3AQ33mcnJC4pkJ%3Awww.bu.edu%2Flaw%2Fcentral%2Fjd%2Forganizations%2Fjournals%2Fbulr%2Fvolume89n2%2Fdocuments%2FMACEDO.pdf+%22our+undemocratic+constitution%22+critic%3F+review%3F&hl=en&gl=us&pli=1 | access-date = September 20, 2009 | archive-date = May 1, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110501080149/http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache%3AQ33mcnJC4pkJ%3Awww.bu.edu%2Flaw%2Fcentral%2Fjd%2Forganizations%2Fjournals%2Fbulr%2Fvolume89n2%2Fdocuments%2FMACEDO.pdf+%22our+undemocratic+constitution%22+critic%3F+review%3F&hl=en&gl=us&pli=1 | url-status = live }}</ref> After each ten-year census, states are allocated representatives based on population, and officials in power can choose how to draw the congressional district boundaries to support candidates from their party. As a result, reelection rates of members of Congress hover around 90 percent,<ref name=incumbent/> causing some critics to call them a privileged class.<ref name=tws2010Sep11t14cc/> Academics such as Princeton's [[Stephen Macedo]] have proposed solutions to fix [[Gerrymandering in the United States|gerrymandering in the U.S.]] Senators and representatives enjoy free mailing privileges, called [[franking privilege]]s; while these are not intended for electioneering, this rule is often skirted by borderline election-related mailings during campaigns.
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