GROUND RULES: Your response to the question below should be 3-4 pages in length (double-spaced, using regular 12 point font and margins). This is an open-book take-home exam, so you should use the assigned readings and your notes to formulate your response to the question.

HELPFUL HINTS: Your exam should use the ideas and events presented in the readings and in class to develop a focused and structured response to the question. Simply recounting history during relevant periods will be insufficient. You need to use that history to make broader arguments about key ideas and concepts, as dictated by the question. If you quote particular readings, you do not need to give a formal footnote, but include relevant page numbers in parentheses after the quote. Please spell-check your response and include page numbers on your document.

Please answer BOTH parts A and B of the following question in your essay:

A. Why is it so difficult for the two major political parties in Congress to articulate a coherent policy agenda?

B. Is there anything that Congressional leaders can do to make their legislative body run more efficiently?