Perhaps the most persistent myth during this election cycle is that the amount of government experience of Hillary Clinton far exceeds that of Bernie Sanders. I think this has been able to gain as much traction as it has due to the fact that Mrs. Clinton has simply been in the national consciousness far longer than Senator Sanders has. But the facts speak for themselves.

Bernie Sanders served as Mayor of Burlington Vermont from 1981 to 1989, a period of 8 years. He was then elected to the House of Representatives in 1991, where he remained until 2007, at which time he was elected to the U.S. Senate. Sanders was re-elected to the Senate in 2012, and has continued to serve in that capacity to the present day. By my accounting, that is 32 years in actual elective office.

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has just six years as a US Senator to show for experience as a duly elected representative, and her tenure as Secretary of State lasted five years, from 2009-2013 (it may just seem longer).

So, in terms of what is generally referred to as “public service”, Hillary Clinton can only claim 11 years experience as compared to Bernie Sanders’ 32; a difference of 21 years, or about one-third the amount of time.

Even if we add into the mix the various posts she held during her husband’s 8-year presidency (none of which she was elected to or needed confirmation in order to occupy), the grand total comes to 19 years, which is still 13 years less than Senator Sanders. (During the 12 years Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas, Hillary worked as a full partner in a law firm.) But if we do so, we’d probably be obliged to include Senator Sanders’ teaching of political science at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in 1989, and at Hamilton College in 1991.

In all fairness, which one has the most actual experience?