Comprehensive Exam
American Government and Politics
January/February 2010
Section 1: Methodology. Answer ONE of the following questions:
1. Qualitative research is often valued for its analytical depth and theoretical richness, but it is commonly faulted for a lack of rigor and limited capacity for generalization. Quantitative, large N studies are often said to possess the opposite advantages and disadvantages. Critically evaluate these assertions and provide examples from the literature that you believe represent the best examples of each research approach in a field of your choice, providing careful support for your recommendations.
2. The electoral advantages of congressional incumbents, the realignment of political parties, and interest group influence in the policy process have been among the most studied research topics in contemporary American politics. Selecting just ONE of these topics, compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the different methods that scholars have employed to study this question.
Section 2: Issues in American Government and Politics: Answer TWO of the following:
3. Bernie Grofman called voter turnout “the paradox that ate rational choice.” Explain what he meant by this. Despite its weaknesses, how has Riker and Ordeshook’s “calculus of voting” provided theoretical underpinnings to the voting behavior literature? Please cite specific examples.
4. There has been much concern among pundits and political scientists about increasing polarization of American politics. What are the posited causes for polarization at the mass and elite levels, and what does the literature tell us about these hypotheses?
5. Introductory treatments of American government often detail the various mechanisms by which each branch of government can exercise "checks and balances" on the others (e.g., judicial review of Congressional enactments, Congressional impeachment of presidents, presidential veto power, and so forth). Choose one such relationship; that is, one mechanism or set of mechanisms by which one branch "checks" another. For that relationship: (a) Outline the "state of the art" vis-a-vis our scholarly understanding of that check or checks: How often is/are they used? What factors contribute to their use? How effective are they? Most important, how do we know the answers to these questions? (b) Conversely, what don't we know about the nature of that particular relationship? Why not? Is our lack of understanding due to inattention, data limitations, or what?
6. Bureaucratic oversight is often referred to as one of the three primary functions of Congress. Yet, observers have long argued that members of Congress have neither the time nor the resources to engage in effective oversight. What is our current understanding of political (both congressional and presidential) control of the bureaucracy? Describe the mechanisms which may potentially be used to influence administrative agencies, how they are used in practice, and how effective they appear to be. What implications does this have for agency performance? For representative government?