4.3 FRQ

The jockeying [for committee positions] and suspense will be especially acute in the House. Its 435 seats make specialization something close to a job requirement, so committee membership takes on outsize importance in driving each member’s legislative priorities and perceived areas of expertise — and in many cases fundraising focus as well. That helps explain why campaigning for a good assignment is an essential focus during every newly elected member’s two-month transition to office, and why the party leaders act as the gatekeepers of membership.

—David Hawkings, “The Opaque World of Committee Assignments,” Roll Call, December 1, 2014

Describe the strategy used by members of Congress discussed in the passage.

Explain how the strategy discussed in part A affects the ability of a member of Congress to win reelection.

Describe an advantage of the committee system in the policymaking process.