Congress  Make-Up  from Year 1855-to-Present


From 1989 to 2009 . . .

StartYear EndYear Congress Re-Election Party Seat
          # Rate Retention Rate
1989 1991 101 90.1% 99.6%
1991 1993 102 87.7% 98.3%
1993 1995 103 73.6% 98.1%
1995 1997 104 79.8% 88.2%
1997 1999 105 77.4% 98.7%
1999 2001 106 89.9% 99.3%
2001 2003 107 88.2% 98.7%
2003 2005 108 87.9% 98.1%
2005 2007 109 88.6% 98.7%
2007 2009 110 84.9% 93.1%
  AVERAGE= 84.8% 97.1%


Average Party Seat Retention rate for last election:  07-Nov-2006:   93.1%
Average Party Seat Retention rate between 2000 and 2006:   97.6%
Average Party Seat Retention rate between 1996 and 2006:   96.4%
Average Party Seat Retention rate between 1980 and 2006:   96.5%
Average Party Seat Retention rate between 1855 and 2006:   91.2%

Voters give Congress dismal 11% to 18% approval ratings, but then do a very strange thing:  Reward Congress with 85% (or higher) re-election rates.

During a portion of the Great Depression (38.8% (206 of 531) of the incumbents were ousted in year 1933) . . .

StartYear EndYear Congress Re-Election Party Seat
        # Rate Retention Rate
1927 1929 70 th 68.9% 96.4%
1929 1931 71 st 79.7% 92.5%
1931 1933 72 nd 76.8% 88.5%
1933 1935 73 rd 61.2% 78.7%

In year 1933, unhappy voters ousted 206 Congress persons (i.e 38.8%=206/531) from Congress (or 44.1% =206/[435 + (96/3)], since only one-third of the Senate is up for re-election every 6 years, considering there were only 96 Senators in year 1933, and the same number of Representatives as today (i.e. 435), for a total of 531 Congress persons in year 1933).

Eventually, enough voters will most likely do it again and vote out record numbers of incumbent politicians from do-nothing Congress again, when the consequences of repeatedly rewarding irresponsible incumbent politicians with perpetual re-election finally becomes too painful.  Already, these 17+ economic conditions are now worse then ever and/or since the 1930s and 1940s, due to the perpetuation of these 10+ abuses for the past 30+ years (abuses that did not all come about by mere coincidence).  Perhaps enough voters will finally question the wisdom and habit of repeatedly rewarding irresponsible incumbent politicians with perpetual re-election when enough voters are jobless, homeless, and hungry?   Pain and misery is often the final lesson and self-correction mechanism.  Pain and misery is one of the most effective types of motivation and education.



      


United States Congresses   
   
    1 (1789) 11 (1809) 21 (1829) 31 (1849) 41 (1869) 51 (1889) 61 (1909) 71 (1929) 81 (1949) 91 (1969) 101 (1989) 111 (2009)
2 (1791) 12 (1811) 22 (1831) 32 (1851) 42 (1871) 52 (1891) 62 (1911) 72 (1931) 82 (1951) 92 (1971) 102 (1991) 112 (2011)
3 (1793) 13 (1813) 23 (1833) 33 (1853) 43 (1873) 53 (1893) 63 (1913) 73 (1933) 83 (1953) 93 (1973) 103 (1993)  
4 (1795) 14 (1815) 24 (1835) 34 (1855) 44 (1875) 54 (1895) 64 (1915) 74 (1935) 84 (1955) 94 (1975) 104 (1995)  
5 (1797) 15 (1817) 25 (1837) 35 (1857) 45 (1877) 55 (1897) 65 (1917) 75 (1937) 85 (1957) 95 (1977) 105 (1997)  
6 (1799) 16 (1819) 26 (1839) 36 (1859) 46 (1879) 56 (1899) 66 (1919) 76 (1939) 86 (1959) 96 (1979) 106 (1999)  
7 (1801) 17 (1821) 27 (1841) 37 (1861) 47 (1881) 57 (1901) 67 (1921) 77 (1941) 87 (1961) 97 (1981) 107 (2001)  
8 (1803) 18 (1823) 28 (1843) 38 (1863) 48 (1883) 58 (1903) 68 (1923) 78 (1943) 88 (1963) 98 (1983) 108 (2003)  
9 (1805) 19 (1825) 29 (1845) 39 (1865) 49 (1885) 59 (1905) 69 (1925) 79 (1945) 89 (1965) 99 (1985) 109 (2005)  
10 (1807) 20 (1827) 30 (1847) 40 (1867) 50 (1887) 60 (1907) 70 (1927) 80 (1947) 90 (1967) 100 (1987) 110 (2007)  
                       
 
   
CONGRESS' To-Do List (see what Congress has done since the NOV-2006 election)
30+ Years of Regressive Systems that Did Not Come About By Mere Coincidence
Why Incumbents Are Elected 95% of the Time (Unfair Incumbent Advantages)
What you should know about fiat-funny-money (47 minute video)
The Problem an