THE CONGRESS
1. How does the U.S. Congress differ from a parliamentary legislature?
2. What were some of the basic concerns the shaped the original formation ofCongress?
3. Given that representatives and senators serve for different periods of time, how might this affect their decision making? What is the difference between the "trustee" versus "delegate" role for members of Congress?
4. What Constitutional powers does Congress have?What advantages does an incumbent member of Congress have over challengers?
5. List and explain the different types of leadership positions in the House and Senate.
6. List and explain the four types of committees found within the Congress.
7. Once a bill is introduced into Congress, how likely will it become a law? Explain. Can you describe the process by which a bill becomes a law?
8. In terms of Congress, why does "individual responsiveness" lead to "collective irresponsibility"?
9. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of term limits.
10. In what ways does the Missouri Legislature differ from the U.S. Congress?
11. In class we discussed the growing importance of congressional staffs. Who are they and what do they do? How do they foster and inhibit democracy?
12. Be able to discuss basic facts about each house of Congress: e.g., size, terms of office, etc.
13. Be able to discuss basic differences between Missouri state senators and state representatives (e.g., terms of office, etc.)
Important terms: legislative oversight, casework, CBO, GAO, pork-barrel politics, log-rolling
THE PRESIDENCY
1. How does the selection of the President differ from the selection of the Chief Executive in a parliamentary form of democracy? What does this difference mean in terms of how policy getsmade?
2. What are the different types of constitutional and operational powers of the President? Explain each one.
3. What are the different ways in which Presidents have organized their White House staffs? What the advantages and disadvantages of each?
4. What is meant by the "Institutional Presidency"? Describe the principal components.
5. What is the role/purpose of the Vice-President? What powers does the Vice-President have?
6. Why do mid-term elections tend to favor the party that is not in the White House?
7. According to the Constitution, how, and under what circumstances, can the President be impeached?
8. Describe the different powers of the Missouri Governor. What is the length ofthe Governor's term? How many terms may s/he serve?
9. In what ways does the Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Missouri differ from that of the Vice-President?
10. Besides the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, what are some of the other key positions that comprise Missouri's Executive Branch?
Be sure you can define the following terms: executive privilege; impoundment; line-item veto;pocket veto; executive agreement; executive order; War Powers Resolution of 1973
THE BUREAUCRACY
1. Explain what is meant by the statement, "Bureaucrats are people we hate in the abstract but cannot do without in the concrete."
2. What is the role/purpose of bureaucracy? Who heads up top levels within bureaucracy?
3. What are the various factors that have contributed to the rise of bureaucracy in the U.S.?
4. Describe the different types of internal and external controls on bureaucracy.
5. Why might a powerful bureaucracy be problematic for democracy? Why might it be beneficial?
6. Explain the concept of patronage versus merit. Do we have both patronage and merit at work in bureaucracy? Explain.
7. Why is bureaucracy so powerful? What are some of the factors that allow bureaucracy to become and remain powerful?
8. Currently, there are over 4,000 patronage appointments at the federal level. What is the justification behind these appointments?
9. What was the significance of the Pendleton Act of 1883? What factors prompted its passage?
Domestic Policy Making
1. Define public policy, and describe the different stages of the policy process.
2. What are the different models of policy making? How do they differ from each other?
3. What is monetary policy? How does it differ from fiscal policy?
4. Explain the role of the Federal Reserve System in shaping Monetary Policy.
5. Explain the role of the OMB in helping to prepare the President's budget.
6. What is the difference between mandatory and discretionary spending?
7. What are the four types of economic development policies? How do they differ from one another?
8. What are the costs and benefits when government regulates private industry?
9. What are the four different strategies government has used to deal with poverty?
10. Explain the difference between Medicare and Medicaid.What is the TANF program?
11. Explain the difference between issue networks and iron triangles.
1. Why is it so difficult to get legislation passed in Congress?
2. Explain the concept of "Collective Irresponsibility" as it applies to the U.S. Congress. What does this suggest in terms of the size and scope of our federal government and federal programs?
3. What is the line-item veto? Is this a power that the President should have? Why or why not?
4. Explain the concept of "administrative discretion" as it applies to bureaucracy. Why does this serve as a source of power for bureaucracy?
5. If you look at most public policies, you will notice that they tend to change rather slowly over time. Why is this the case?