Question

rules guide and constrain behavior, but the reality on the ground at any specific time also impacts political outcomes. reality - facts - is not a matter of opinion, although people can dispute the nature of reality. something is a fact, for example, when there is compelling evidence that an event has happened or a condition exists. the sun rises in the east: reality. the united nations is an international organization: fact (reality). has the united nations made the world a better place? that is a matter of opinion, although those who say “yes” or “no” can provide facts that support their views about reality. 15 how candidates can raise and spend money on their electoral campaigns may be limited by campaign finance laws, but if one candidate raises twice as much money as the other candidate, that is an important fact. if one candidate is the incumbent - a politician already serving in office and running for reelection - and the other is not, that is an important fact. these are important facts because whether or not a candidate is an incumbent and how much campaign money they raise may affect their chances of winning the election. in us elections, for example, incumbents generally have a better chance of being elected (although the strength of this relationship has varied over time), while the impact of fundraising on electoral success is open to question. 16 in chess, the rules are constant, never changing during the game. the reality changes as play proceeds - at any moment each player has a specific number of pieces in particular places on the board. what happens then depends on the choices the players make. this is as true for politics as for any other game. a key difference between chess and politics is that, in politics, the players themselves can change the rules of the game while they are playing.

Explanation:

The text discusses the nature of facts and opinions in politics, comparing it to chess - rules in chess are fixed while in politics players can change rules. It also mentions factors like campaign money and incumbency in US elections. The key points are the fluidity of political rules compared to chess rules and the impact of various factors on electoral success.

Answer:

The key difference between chess and politics is that in chess the rules are constant and unchanging during the game, while in politics the players themselves can change the rules of the game. In US elections, incumbents have an advantage in raising money which can affect their chances of winning, and the relationship between campaign money and electoral success has varied over time.