PSC 312 Exam 2 questions with
verified answers passed
early postwar era: slow grinding, incremental process; modern era: gridlock with spikes of
activity
not congress passes fewer total bills but mostly because major bills are passed in spikes of
unified control
committees changed somewhat in the 90s with a power shift back to more centralized party
leadership - correct answer ✔✔How has the committee system changed
standing committee - correct answer ✔✔permanent entity created by public law or
house/senate rules; continue from congress to congress; do bulk of legislative work; most bills
originate in corresponding standing committees but most legislation never makes it out of
committee
subcommittee - correct answer ✔✔most standing committees are limited to no more than 5
subcommittees and they subdivide a committees wide-ranging jurisdiction into smaller, more
manageable pieces
select committee - correct answer ✔✔temporary, usually only for the duration of one
congress/membership is prerogative of speaker, though usually minority leader gets to appoint
minority party members/created to draw attention to a specific issue or problem or devote
more attention to overseeing and investing in the issues permanent committees lack the time to
do so
joint committee - correct answer ✔✔made up of members of both parties for study,
investigation, oversight, and routine activities/members usually appointed by speaker and
senates presiding officer
, conference committees - correct answer ✔✔composed of members of both chambers to
reconcile differences between versions of bills passed by both chambers and members are
usually selected from the committees that referred the bills
exclusive committees - correct answer ✔✔House members who serve on the most influential
committees (appropriations, energy and commerce, financial services, rules, ways and means)
may not serve on any additional committees without a waiver.
reelection: natural resources committee
influence the hosue: ways and means committee
policy: education or foreign affairs committee - correct answer ✔✔what are fenno's three main
goals of law makers
house democratic caucus: "committee posts need to necessarily follow seniority"/ House
republican caucus "chair of a committee need not be the member with the longest consecutive
service on the committee - correct answer ✔✔example of formal rules
party loyalty, geography, substantive expertise, electoral vulnerability - correct answer
✔✔examples of informal rules
overlapping jurisdiction - correct answer ✔✔more than one standing committee handles a
broad policy area(ex transportation issue deals with commerce, environment, banking etc)
referral - correct answer ✔✔bill is sent to one (or in some cases several) committees after
introduction
multiple referrals - correct answer ✔✔speaker assigns bill to more than one committee though
usually one committee is designated as having primary jurisdiction-multiple referrals give
speaker more influence over committee activities
verified answers passed
early postwar era: slow grinding, incremental process; modern era: gridlock with spikes of
activity
not congress passes fewer total bills but mostly because major bills are passed in spikes of
unified control
committees changed somewhat in the 90s with a power shift back to more centralized party
leadership - correct answer ✔✔How has the committee system changed
standing committee - correct answer ✔✔permanent entity created by public law or
house/senate rules; continue from congress to congress; do bulk of legislative work; most bills
originate in corresponding standing committees but most legislation never makes it out of
committee
subcommittee - correct answer ✔✔most standing committees are limited to no more than 5
subcommittees and they subdivide a committees wide-ranging jurisdiction into smaller, more
manageable pieces
select committee - correct answer ✔✔temporary, usually only for the duration of one
congress/membership is prerogative of speaker, though usually minority leader gets to appoint
minority party members/created to draw attention to a specific issue or problem or devote
more attention to overseeing and investing in the issues permanent committees lack the time to
do so
joint committee - correct answer ✔✔made up of members of both parties for study,
investigation, oversight, and routine activities/members usually appointed by speaker and
senates presiding officer
, conference committees - correct answer ✔✔composed of members of both chambers to
reconcile differences between versions of bills passed by both chambers and members are
usually selected from the committees that referred the bills
exclusive committees - correct answer ✔✔House members who serve on the most influential
committees (appropriations, energy and commerce, financial services, rules, ways and means)
may not serve on any additional committees without a waiver.
reelection: natural resources committee
influence the hosue: ways and means committee
policy: education or foreign affairs committee - correct answer ✔✔what are fenno's three main
goals of law makers
house democratic caucus: "committee posts need to necessarily follow seniority"/ House
republican caucus "chair of a committee need not be the member with the longest consecutive
service on the committee - correct answer ✔✔example of formal rules
party loyalty, geography, substantive expertise, electoral vulnerability - correct answer
✔✔examples of informal rules
overlapping jurisdiction - correct answer ✔✔more than one standing committee handles a
broad policy area(ex transportation issue deals with commerce, environment, banking etc)
referral - correct answer ✔✔bill is sent to one (or in some cases several) committees after
introduction
multiple referrals - correct answer ✔✔speaker assigns bill to more than one committee though
usually one committee is designated as having primary jurisdiction-multiple referrals give
speaker more influence over committee activities
