Woll HW Check #8 –
Polsby:
Congress-bashing for Beginners – Mayhew:
Congress- The Electoral Connection – Fenno: Home Style
and Washington Career
Print out,
complete and bring to class on the assigned due date.
1. In the past, Congress-bashing has led to:
a) a greatly strengthened
Congress.
b) a more powerful
presidency.
c) controls over PAC
spending.
d) all of the above
2. Congress-bashing often stems from:
a) the president and Congress
of the same party.
b) divided government in
which the president and Congress are of opposite parties.
c) disciplined political
parties on Capitol Hill.
d) decentralized
congressional power.
3. Among the proposals for
change Congress-bashers have recommended are:
a) the item veto.
b) limits on congressional
salaries.
c) term limits.
d) all of the above
4. According to David Mayhew, members of Congress
must:
a) constantly strive for
power and status on Capitol Hill.
b) engage in reelection
activities whether or not they are from safe districts.
c) engage in reelection
activities only if they are from marginal districts.
d) engage in reelection
activities only where there are sharp party differences along ideological lines
in their
districts.
5. Activities members of Congress engage in to secure
reelection include:
a) advertising.
b) position-taking.
c) credit-claiming.
d) all of the above
6. Congressional advertising activities are
essentially focused upon:
a) casework.
b) oversight of
administrative agencies.
c) taking stands on issues.
d) congressmen disseminating
their names among constituents.
7. Credit-claiming by congressmen is essentially
focused upon:
a) claiming credit for
channeling specific benefits to districts.
b) raising credibility on
Capitol Hill.
c) wooing voters by claiming
credit for power on Capitol Hill.
d) attacks upon the political
opposition.
8. Generally the best strategy for position-taking is
to:
a) take ideological stands.
b) take strong positions on
important issues of public policy.
c) cling to positions taken
in the past where possible and reach for new positions only with great caution.
d) follow the leadership of
Capitol Hill.
9. A congressman’s home style and
a) are never in conflict.
b) are always in conflict.
c) are generally mutually
supportive of each other.
d) are often in conflict.
10. Generally members of Congress seriously embark
upon their
a) immediately upon assuming
office.
b) only after several hours.
c) after they have achieved a
committee chairmanship.
d) and are closely followed
by constituents.
11. Members of Congress generally find that their
power on Capitol Hill:
a) helps them to get
reelected.
b) is not very important to reelection.
c) is essential to position-taking.
d) is closely followed by
constituents.
12. The congressman’s home activities are:
a) generally easy to handle.
b) delegated entirely to the member’s staff.
c) difficult and taxing for
the members and his staff.
d) handled by local party
bosses.