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So You want to be a Congressperson - Coggle Diagram
So You want to be a Congressperson
Who can run?
They must be 25 years or older
Be a U.S. Citizen for 7 years or more
They must live in the region that they are representing
There are no educational requirements, however most representatives of congress are lawyers
Why would you run?
Personal/Political Reasons
duty to country
duty to your party
Perks
Good salary
Franking Privelage
Free mail and trips paid by taxpayers
Drawbacks
Don't have much time to see family
Could make more money through a law firm
Very competitive
What is the incumbency advantage?
Can you win?
By bringing a new perspective to the table you can persuade people to vote for you
Describe it
Someone who has already had experience, people have name recognition with this person and are more likely to vote for this person
Can I afford to run?
How can I fund it?
You can fund your campaign through PAC's (political action committees)
What does it cost
Campaigning will cost around $1.4 million for even a chance at running
When Should I run?
What about running during midterm elections?
During these elections the party that has a canidate in office they lose more senators in, so it would be a good time to run if the president is doing great
Whats the coattail effect?
When a canidate in office is doing well and people are happy with them they are more likely to vote for people in that party