Praxis II Government and Political Science

Answer: C - Of these factors the most important for predicting the outcome of Congressional elections is whether or not the candidate is an incumbent. In politics, the incumbent is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. Incumbency has oftentimes proven to be extremely advantageous in Congressional elections. Major connections to political action committees, relationships with key players, and other built-in advantages are very difficult for political opponents to overcome.