@article {Wolak:May 2007:0362-9805:285,
	author = "Wolak, Jennifer",
	title = "Strategic Retirements: The Influence of Public Preferences On Voluntary Departures from Congress",
	journal = "Legislative Studies Quarterly",
	volume = "32",
	year = "May 2007",
	abstract = "Are members of Congress responsive to public preferences in their decisions to seek reelection or retire, or do members simply rely on the advantages of incumbency to secure reelection? I argue that members of Congress consider their electoral vulnerability when deciding whether or not to seek reelection, informing their reelection odds with the same short-term electoral forces that influence election outcomes: partisan preferences, economic evaluations, and congressional approval. Considering aggregate rates of voluntary departures from the House and Senate from 1954 to 2004, I show that rates of retirement reflect, not only institutional environments within Congress, but also the mood of the electorate.",
	pages = "285-308(24)",
	url = "http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/uoi/lsq/2007/00000032/00000002/art00006"
	doi = "doi:10.3162/036298007780907897"
}