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Estimating Incumbency Advantage without Bias

Bibliographic Data

ID6230192
AuthorsAndrew Gelman (0000-0002-6975-2601, Columbia University), Gary King (0000-0002-5327-7631, Harvard University Press)
Year1990
Volume34
Issue4
Pages1142
Publication date1990-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0092-5853 • E-ISSN: 1540-5907
PublisherJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/2111475
OpenAlexW2149232625
LanguageEN
Citations received269
References cited2

In this paper we prove theoretically and demonstrate empirically that all existing measures of incumbency advantage in the congressional elections literature are biased or inconsistent. We then provide an unbiased estimator based on a very simple linear regression model. We apply this new method to congressional elections since 1900, providing the first evidence of a positive incumbency advantage in the first half of the century

Econometrics · Economics · Estimator · Linear regression · Simple (philosophy · Simple linear regression · Statistics · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Mathematics

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Unique citing works269
Citations per year7,69
Citation span1991 - 2026 (36)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedYes
Citation typesNeutral: 269

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