Matthew Eric Glassman
Analyst on the Congress
Erin Hemlin
Research Associate
Amber Hope Wilhelm
Graphics Specialist
The average service tenure of members of the Senate and House of Representatives has varied substantially since 1789. This report presents data on member tenure and a historical analysis of tenure trends.
During the 19th century, the average service of Representatives and Senators remained roughly constant, with little or no change over time; average years of service was slightly higher for the first half of the century than during the second. During the late 19th and through the 20th century, the average years of service for Senators steadily increased, from an average of just under five years in the early 1880s to an average of just over 13 years in recent Congresses. Similarly, the average years of service of Representatives increased from just over four years in the first two Congresses of the 20th century to an average of approximately 10 years in the three most recent Congresses.
The average years of service for members of the 112th Congress, as of January 5, 2011, when the Congress convened, was 9.8 years for the House and 11.4 years for the Senate. The average years of service for members of the 111th Congress, as of January 3, 2009, when the Congress convened, was 10.3 years for the House and 13.4 years for the Senate.
Two underlying factors appear to influence variation over time in the average years of service for members of Congresses: the decision of sitting members whether or not to seek election to the next Congress, and the success rate of members who seek election to the next Congress. In addition, short-term variation in average service is affected by the individual service tenures of members who do not return for the following Congress.
Observed increases in the proportion of members seeking re-election and decreases in the proportion of members defeated for re-election conform with previous scholarly assessments of congressional history, which largely conclude that during the early history of Congress, turnover in membership was frequent and resignations were commonplace, and that during the 20th century, congressional careers lengthened as turnover decreased and Congress became more professionalized.
The report also examines two further issues related to member tenure. First, the distribution of member service that underlies the aggregate chamber averages is examined. Although the average service tenure of members has increased, more than half of Representatives and nearly half of Senators in recent Congresses have served eight years or less. Second, the report analyzes historical trends in the percentage of members who have served in both chambers. While only a small and declining proportion of Representatives have historically had previous Senate experience, throughout history a sizeable percentage of Senators have previously served in the House.
For information on the number of freshmen elected to Congress, refer to CRS Report R41283, First-Term Members of the House of Representatives and Senate, 64th – 111th Congresses, by Jennifer E. Manning and R. Eric Petersen.
Date of Report: January 7, 2011
Number of Pages: 16
Order Number: R41545
Price: $29.95
Follow us on TWITTER at http://www.twitter.com/alertsPHP or #CRSreports
Document available via e-mail as a pdf file or in paper form.
To order, e-mail Penny Hill Press or call us at 301-253-0881. Provide a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card number, expiration date, and name on the card. Indicate whether you want e-mail or postal delivery. Phone orders are preferred and receive priority processing.
Analyst on the Congress
Erin Hemlin
Research Associate
Amber Hope Wilhelm
Graphics Specialist
The average service tenure of members of the Senate and House of Representatives has varied substantially since 1789. This report presents data on member tenure and a historical analysis of tenure trends.
During the 19th century, the average service of Representatives and Senators remained roughly constant, with little or no change over time; average years of service was slightly higher for the first half of the century than during the second. During the late 19th and through the 20th century, the average years of service for Senators steadily increased, from an average of just under five years in the early 1880s to an average of just over 13 years in recent Congresses. Similarly, the average years of service of Representatives increased from just over four years in the first two Congresses of the 20th century to an average of approximately 10 years in the three most recent Congresses.
The average years of service for members of the 112th Congress, as of January 5, 2011, when the Congress convened, was 9.8 years for the House and 11.4 years for the Senate. The average years of service for members of the 111th Congress, as of January 3, 2009, when the Congress convened, was 10.3 years for the House and 13.4 years for the Senate.
Two underlying factors appear to influence variation over time in the average years of service for members of Congresses: the decision of sitting members whether or not to seek election to the next Congress, and the success rate of members who seek election to the next Congress. In addition, short-term variation in average service is affected by the individual service tenures of members who do not return for the following Congress.
Observed increases in the proportion of members seeking re-election and decreases in the proportion of members defeated for re-election conform with previous scholarly assessments of congressional history, which largely conclude that during the early history of Congress, turnover in membership was frequent and resignations were commonplace, and that during the 20th century, congressional careers lengthened as turnover decreased and Congress became more professionalized.
The report also examines two further issues related to member tenure. First, the distribution of member service that underlies the aggregate chamber averages is examined. Although the average service tenure of members has increased, more than half of Representatives and nearly half of Senators in recent Congresses have served eight years or less. Second, the report analyzes historical trends in the percentage of members who have served in both chambers. While only a small and declining proportion of Representatives have historically had previous Senate experience, throughout history a sizeable percentage of Senators have previously served in the House.
For information on the number of freshmen elected to Congress, refer to CRS Report R41283, First-Term Members of the House of Representatives and Senate, 64th – 111th Congresses, by Jennifer E. Manning and R. Eric Petersen.
Date of Report: January 7, 2011
Number of Pages: 16
Order Number: R41545
Price: $29.95
Follow us on TWITTER at http://www.twitter.com/alertsPHP or #CRSreports
Document available via e-mail as a pdf file or in paper form.
To order, e-mail Penny Hill Press or call us at 301-253-0881. Provide a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card number, expiration date, and name on the card. Indicate whether you want e-mail or postal delivery. Phone orders are preferred and receive priority processing.
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