The graph above shows reelection rates for incumbents in the House and Senate. From this information and your knowledge of United States politics, perform the following tasks.

a. Identify two patterns displayed in the graph.

A pattern in the graph is that the incumbents in the House of Representatives have a consistent average of being elected about 85% of the time. Senate reelection rates varie from around 55-97 %

c. Discuss one consequence of incumbency advantage for the United States political process.

By using the incumbency advantage, the U.S political process has become corrupt and rigged. The incumbents usually win about 85% of the time, according to the graph, and so the opposing party has no chance from the start. A candidate could have technically won a state, but since the incumbent changed the district lines, he lost some of those districts, which made him lose the election. Therefore the incumbency advantage has become a joke for the odds are terrible for the newcomers and the incumbents are almost sure to win every time.

b. Identify two factors that contribute to incumbency advantage. Explain how each factor contributes to incumbency advantage.

Gerrymandering and the franking privilege are two factors that contribute to the incumbency advantage. NEED EXPLANATION