Inspected by #1184063113: The Influence of Incumbents' Competence and Integrity in U.S. House Elections

Theory: We argue that voters, as principals, evaluate congressional candidates in terms of whether those candidates will act as effective agents. Hypotheses: U.S. House incumbents' levels of competence and integrity influence both the individual-level vote choice and voters' evaluations of their representatives. Methods: Indicators of competence and integrity for representatives who entered the House between 1969 and 1981 are merged with the NES cumulative file, with data for the 1976-92 elections. The relationship between incumbent quality and electoral choice is explored in a series of OLS regression and logistic regression models. Results: Incumbents' levels of integrity bring direct influence on both feeling thermometer scores and the vote choice. Competence exerts an indirect effect on the vote by influencing the behavior of prospective challengers.