Costs, Benefits and Careers in the U.S. House of Representatives: A Developmental Approach

Abstract

Many have observed the rise of, and changes in, careerism in the U.S. House of Representatives, but few have attempted an explanation for careerism's emergence and change. We posit a cost-benefit model as an explanation for careerism with the House's structure and environment affecting the cost-benefit calculus. The model is not testable per se, but it is compared, and seems to fit well with the historical record of careerism and the political environment.