| Senate | House | |||||
| Factor | Mean | Rank | Number of Cases | Mean | Rank | Number of Cases |
| Malfeasance (scandal) | 1.656 | 2 | 32 | 1.628 | 1 | 35 |
| Policy crisis | 1.526 | 1 | 38 | 1.644 | 2 | 45 |
| Low regard for
administrators |
3.058 | 14 | 34 | 3.181 | 12 | 44 |
| Agency unresponsive
to committee |
2.486 | 8 | 37 | 2.30 | 26 | 43 |
| Ineffectively run
programs |
1.948 | 3 | 39 | 1.958 | 3 | 48 |
| Clientele complaints | 2.666 | 9 | 2.65 | 39 | 49 | |
| Commitment to review | 2.421 | 7 | 38 | 2.040 | 5 | 49 |
| Reauthorizations
process |
2.067 | 5 | 30 | 2.000 | 4 | 31 |
| Publicity potential | 3.151 | 14 | 33 | 3.595 | 14 | 42 |
| General public concern | 2.268 | 6 | 41 | 2.500 | 8 | 48 |
| District concern | 2.810 | 11 | 37 | 2.956 | 10 | 46 |
| Casework | 3.1111 | 3 | 36 | 3.343 | 13 | 32 |
| Assist favored
programs |
2.756 | 10 | 37 | 3.025 | 11 | 40 |
| Sharp disagreement | 1.972 | 4 | 36 | 2.333 | 7 | 45 |
a. After each factor, respondents could
check the following categories on the importance scale: major importance,
1; important, 2; some importance, 3; minor importance, 4; or unimportant,
5. Scores are means. Factors are listed in the order presented to the respondents.
1. Joel D. Aberbach "Keeping a Watchful Eye: The Politics of Congressional Oversight" Brookings, 1990, p. 115.