incumbency

Definition

The state of currently holding an office or position, typically giving you an unfair advantage over challengers who don't already have the keys to the executive washroom. In politics, it's the art of being re-elected simply because voters recognize your name from the last campaign sign they drove past. Think of it as tenure, but with more attack ads.

Example Usage

The governor's incumbency gave her a 20-point polling advantage before the campaign even started.

Source: Political terminology via standard dictionaries

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appropriation

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