PLSC Exam 2 UPDATED ACTUAL
Questions and CORRECT Answers
A bill's supporters generally prefer that the Rules Committee decide to use a(n) ___________
rule.
a. termination
b. closed
c. hold
d. open - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔b. closed
In the House of Representatives, who determines the conditions under which (e.g. amount of
debate, order of votes, types of amendments) bills come up for a vote?
a. The Ways and Means Committee
b. The Rules Committee
c. The Speaker
d. Leadership PAC representatives - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔b. The Rules Committee
In 2018, a congressional committee briefly captured media and public attention when it
questioned Facebook executive and cofounder Mark Zuckerberg about the privacy of its user
data, in the wake of reports that a British research company had abused data in private
research related to the 2016 presidential election. In so doing, the committee discussed past
and ongoing data privacy-related actions undertaken against Facebook by the Federal Trade
Commission. As it involved not only a celebrity witness, but a federal agency's duties and
actions under the law, the hearing was a classic case of a House committee engaged in:
a. intrusion into executive branch affairs.
b. enforcement and policy-making authority.
c. oversight
d. ad hoc authority. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔c. oversight
Representatives who believe that they have been elected to do the bidding of those who sent
them to Congress are said to be serving as:
a. trustees.
,b. delegates.
c. agents.
d. politicos. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔b. delegates.
The Senate is unique among the world's legislative bodies for its commitment to:
a. partisan warfare.
b. unlimited debate.
c. rules on politeness and means of addressing colleagues.
d. stifling floor debate. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔b. unlimited debate.
A permanent legislative committee that considers legislation within its designated subject
area is known as a ____________.
a. conference committee
b. oversight committee
c. joint blue ribbon panel
d. standing committee - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔d. standing committee
Why would opponents of a bill prefer an open rule to a closed rule?
a. The open rule makes it easier to add amendments that may weaken the bill's chances of
passing.
b. The open rule allows the other chamber to make a decision on the bill first.
c. The open rule prevents a bill's supporter from making further demands on minority party
legislators.
d. Members of the House can exercise their filibuster power and block the legislation. -
CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔a. The open rule makes it easier to add amendments that may
weaken the bill's chances of passing.
What is the area of policy over which a committee is assigned responsibility?
a. Jurisdiction
b. Central function
c. Domain
d. Area of expertise - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔a. Jurisdiction
,When a congressional representative says to a legislative colleague, "I'll support your bill if
you'll support mine," that statement is an example of:
a. whipping.
b. interest-group bargaining.
c. the distributive tendency.
d. logrolling. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔d. logrolling.
The number of seats in the House of Representatives, although distributed by population, is
set by law. What is that number?
a. 538
b. 435
c. 535
d. 438 - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔b. 435
Until the Seventeenth Amendment passed, senators were selected by _______________.
a. state governors
b. only white, male property holders
c. state legislatures
d. elites within individual states - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔c. state legislatures
What is the general term for providing minor services to constituents, introducing bills for
specific citizens, and attempting to influence decisions by agencies and regulatory
commissions on their behalf?
a. Pork barreling
b. Glad-handing
c. Gerrymandering
d. Constituency service (casework) - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔d. Constituency service
(casework)
, Under the Constitution, the president can appoint ambassadors, federal judges, and top
executive officers, but only with _____________.
a. congressional confirmation
b. the advice and consent of the Senate
c. the advice and consent of House and Senate leaders
d. quick action to overcome "holds" in Congress - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔b. the advice
and consent of the Senate
Compared to the House of Representatives, the Senate serves constituencies that are:
a. larger and more diverse.
b. smaller and more homogeneous.
c. larger and more homogeneous.
d. smaller and more diverse. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔a. larger and more diverse.
The party conference or caucus is a:
a. group of congressional aides who administer the day-to-day affairs of the national parties.
b. series of district meetings in which participants collectively select party nominees for
congressional races.
c. party organ designed to promote the election of fellow party candidates.
d. meeting of a political or legislative group to select leaders or discuss party strategy. -
CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔d. meeting of a political or legislative group to select leaders or
discuss party strategy.
The franking privilege, which allows members of Congress to send mailings free of charge,
reinforces an incumbency advantage because:
a. members can remind constituents of their activities and service through these mailings,
and make themselves more visible.
b. it is a more effective means of communication in service to all constituents than electronic
mail, since some segments of the population do not have Internet access.
c. members may more efficiently serve constituents and solve problems for them, given the
importance of sending documents in such service.
d. it prevents candidates who are unable to raise large sums of money from running against
them. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔a. members can remind constituents of their activities and
service through these mailings, and make themselves more visible.
Questions and CORRECT Answers
A bill's supporters generally prefer that the Rules Committee decide to use a(n) ___________
rule.
a. termination
b. closed
c. hold
d. open - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔b. closed
In the House of Representatives, who determines the conditions under which (e.g. amount of
debate, order of votes, types of amendments) bills come up for a vote?
a. The Ways and Means Committee
b. The Rules Committee
c. The Speaker
d. Leadership PAC representatives - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔b. The Rules Committee
In 2018, a congressional committee briefly captured media and public attention when it
questioned Facebook executive and cofounder Mark Zuckerberg about the privacy of its user
data, in the wake of reports that a British research company had abused data in private
research related to the 2016 presidential election. In so doing, the committee discussed past
and ongoing data privacy-related actions undertaken against Facebook by the Federal Trade
Commission. As it involved not only a celebrity witness, but a federal agency's duties and
actions under the law, the hearing was a classic case of a House committee engaged in:
a. intrusion into executive branch affairs.
b. enforcement and policy-making authority.
c. oversight
d. ad hoc authority. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔c. oversight
Representatives who believe that they have been elected to do the bidding of those who sent
them to Congress are said to be serving as:
a. trustees.
,b. delegates.
c. agents.
d. politicos. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔b. delegates.
The Senate is unique among the world's legislative bodies for its commitment to:
a. partisan warfare.
b. unlimited debate.
c. rules on politeness and means of addressing colleagues.
d. stifling floor debate. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔b. unlimited debate.
A permanent legislative committee that considers legislation within its designated subject
area is known as a ____________.
a. conference committee
b. oversight committee
c. joint blue ribbon panel
d. standing committee - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔d. standing committee
Why would opponents of a bill prefer an open rule to a closed rule?
a. The open rule makes it easier to add amendments that may weaken the bill's chances of
passing.
b. The open rule allows the other chamber to make a decision on the bill first.
c. The open rule prevents a bill's supporter from making further demands on minority party
legislators.
d. Members of the House can exercise their filibuster power and block the legislation. -
CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔a. The open rule makes it easier to add amendments that may
weaken the bill's chances of passing.
What is the area of policy over which a committee is assigned responsibility?
a. Jurisdiction
b. Central function
c. Domain
d. Area of expertise - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔a. Jurisdiction
,When a congressional representative says to a legislative colleague, "I'll support your bill if
you'll support mine," that statement is an example of:
a. whipping.
b. interest-group bargaining.
c. the distributive tendency.
d. logrolling. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔d. logrolling.
The number of seats in the House of Representatives, although distributed by population, is
set by law. What is that number?
a. 538
b. 435
c. 535
d. 438 - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔b. 435
Until the Seventeenth Amendment passed, senators were selected by _______________.
a. state governors
b. only white, male property holders
c. state legislatures
d. elites within individual states - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔c. state legislatures
What is the general term for providing minor services to constituents, introducing bills for
specific citizens, and attempting to influence decisions by agencies and regulatory
commissions on their behalf?
a. Pork barreling
b. Glad-handing
c. Gerrymandering
d. Constituency service (casework) - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔d. Constituency service
(casework)
, Under the Constitution, the president can appoint ambassadors, federal judges, and top
executive officers, but only with _____________.
a. congressional confirmation
b. the advice and consent of the Senate
c. the advice and consent of House and Senate leaders
d. quick action to overcome "holds" in Congress - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔b. the advice
and consent of the Senate
Compared to the House of Representatives, the Senate serves constituencies that are:
a. larger and more diverse.
b. smaller and more homogeneous.
c. larger and more homogeneous.
d. smaller and more diverse. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔a. larger and more diverse.
The party conference or caucus is a:
a. group of congressional aides who administer the day-to-day affairs of the national parties.
b. series of district meetings in which participants collectively select party nominees for
congressional races.
c. party organ designed to promote the election of fellow party candidates.
d. meeting of a political or legislative group to select leaders or discuss party strategy. -
CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔d. meeting of a political or legislative group to select leaders or
discuss party strategy.
The franking privilege, which allows members of Congress to send mailings free of charge,
reinforces an incumbency advantage because:
a. members can remind constituents of their activities and service through these mailings,
and make themselves more visible.
b. it is a more effective means of communication in service to all constituents than electronic
mail, since some segments of the population do not have Internet access.
c. members may more efficiently serve constituents and solve problems for them, given the
importance of sending documents in such service.
d. it prevents candidates who are unable to raise large sums of money from running against
them. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔a. members can remind constituents of their activities and
service through these mailings, and make themselves more visible.
