POL311
Legislative Process
Dr. Sellers

Sample Essay Questions for Final Exam

1. Think back to the simulated election during the first part of the semester. In light of the various readings and class discussions from throughout the semester, how could you run your campaign differently? In your essay, do not merely recount problems and mistakes in your campaign. Instead, use concepts and ideas from the discussions and readings (such as Fenno) to explain how you could improve your campaign.
2. During the last twenty years, observers of American politics have increasingly noted the decline of the barrier between governing and election campaigning. What evidence from Congress and congressional elections supports these observers' claim? Are any remnants of the barrier left? Is the decline of the barrier a good or bad thing? Why?
3. Recall the specific definition of a collective good that we discussed early in the semester (involving jointness of supply and nonexcludability of demand). Select two examples from inside the institution of Congress that fit this definition of a collective good. Explain exactly how each example fits the definition of a collective good. What collective action problem(s) make it harder to provide each of these collective goods that you selected? How do members of Congress overcome these obstacles and provide the collective goods?
4. During the second half of the semester, we discussed where power and influence often reside in Congress. What are the most likely centers of power in Congress? What determines the relative power of these competing centers? For each of the possible centers of power, what evidence might illustrate that the particular center is most powerful? Provide evidence of the relative influence of the centers of power in the 109th Congress.
5. Are campaign strategy and campaign spending related? Is so, how? If not, why not? Which of the two factors exerts the strongest influence on congressional election outcomes? Support your argument with evidence from individual races and overall election outcomes.
6. Over the course of the semester, we have discussed several different dimensions of representation (one such dimension ranges from delegate to trustee representation). We have also discussed how politicians base their strategies and decisions on the rules that they face. Write an essay in which you consider how rules affect representation. More specifically, choose one dimension of representation. Then, choose one topic inside Congress that we have discussed, and one topic outside Congress that we have discussed. For each topic, explain how differences or changes in rules affect the representation that politicians provide.

In your answers to all the questions, make sure that you support your argument with detailed information from throughout the semester, and from different aspects of Congress. Examples from current events can also strengthen your argument.