NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Senators will get to question Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan Tuesday, but it'll be the man himself and the office he holds, rather than the nation's economy, that are likely to get more scrutiny.

Greenspan has been nominated to a new four-year term as Fed chairman, and Tuesday's appearance before a Senate panel is the start of the confirmation process.

While it's almost a sure thing that Greenspan will eventually be confirmed, there are some things the Fed chief can expect to hear about.

Based on past questions for Greenspan or other issues raised by critics, here are five areas that can be expected to get scrutiny when he goes to Capitol Hill.

At their regular meetings, Federal Reserve policy-makers issue statements dissected by economists and investors for clues about the central bank's future moves. The most recent statement said that current low interest rates would be raised "at a pace that is likely to be measured."

Since that statement, Greenspan and some other Fed officials have made statements suggesting more aggressive rate hikes are possible. All the statements and comments have left markets uncertain of how the Fed will move on rates ahead of the next meeting of Fed policy-makers June 29-30.

"I think he's well aware of the fact they need to improve (communication)," said Lyle Gramley, former Fed governor, now consulting economist with Schwab Washington Research. "It's very a difficult thing to do. I think they're improving."

The European central bank holds a news conference the day after the it announces interest rate decisions, a model some Fed watchers would like to see the Fed adopt as well.

In his comments last week at a forum of central bankers, Greenspan repeated that the central bank was likely to raise short-term rates at a measured pace. But he added the warning thatfaster rate hikes are possible.

If inflation starts accelerating, the Fed "is prepared to do what is required to fulfill our obligations to achieve the maintenance of price stability so as to ensure maximum sustainable economic growth," Greenspan said.

His comments, and those by other Fed governors last week, have sent bond prices lower and yields on the 10-year note higher.

Greenspan's appearance before the Senate Banking Committee will come shortly after the government reports its main inflation gauge, the consumer price index, for May. Investors will be eyeing the report for any whiff of inflation that could affect the Fed's next move on rates.

Greenspan has been willing to comment on a wide range of issues not directly related to monetary policy, including taxes, Social Security benefits and trade policy.

A professor who studies the Fed also published a paper that showed Greenspan has been a far more frequent visitor to the White House under the Bush administration than he was under the three other presidents he served.

In February, Greenspan stirred controversy by advocating Congress move quickly to fix the nation's swollen budget deficit -- including measures that could cut some future Social Security payments -- while also saying he opposed raising tax rates to battle the deficit.

But some critics say Fed governors should restrict their comments to issues over which they have discretion.

"More than any of his predecessors, he has gone public with every issue under the sun," said Fed watcher Tom Schlesinger, executive director of the Financial Markets Center. "I'm not sure there's a right answer, but I think it's worth talking about in a public forum what ought to be boundaries of the Fed governors' comments."

Fed governor Ben Bernanke and some analysts argue the Fed should be more specific about its goals for inflation, a policy followed by other central banks known as "inflation targeting."

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The critics argue that without such specific targets, Fed policy-making is too undisciplined and difficult to explain.

Those pushing for it say targeting would eliminate much of the guesswork in handicapping Fed policy. But Greenspan has criticized such an approach, arguing the Fed should have greater flexibility when setting short-term rates.

Still, the issue of targeting could gain new support, especially with the departure of Greenspan getting nearer.

"There will be a perceptible political call by people for a more rule-bound policy after the magician (Greenspan) leaves the stage," Fed watcher Schlesinger said.

The Fed chairman serves a four-year term, the same as the president. But the terms can and do get out of sync with the president's when a Fed chairman's tenure is cut short by resignation, death or limitation on his or her term as a Fed governor.

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The latter instance is likely to happen again this time, as Greenspan's 14-year term as Fed governor is due to end in February 2006. While he could stay on a few months after that as a part of a transition, it's unlikely he could serve out his full four-year term as chairman, since reappointment to another term as governor is not allowed.

Greenspan fans may want changes so the Fed chairman can have his term as governor extended to serve a full term.

Others have argued that the Fed chairman's term should be made permanently in sync with that of the president so a new president would have the opportunity to appoint his or her own chairman upon taking office.