PLSC TESTBANK QUESTIONS WITH
100% CORRECT ANSWERS (GRADED
A+)
When a regulatory agency charges a person or business suspected of violating a
particular rule or regulation and holds a hearing on the matter, it engages in - Answer-
administrative adjudication
Once the president has formally nominated an individual for the courts, the appointee
must be approved by the ________ and then confirmed by the ________. - Answer-
senate judiciary committee; Full senate
At the federal level, the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal are the courts of last resort for
most cases, whether civil or criminal, because - Answer- the U.S. Supreme Court can
choose what cases it wants to hear, among those appealed from lower courts.
A joint committee created to iron out differences between house and senate versions of
the same bill is called - Answer- conference committee
In recent decades, the statutory limit on the number of House seats has given an
advantage to ____ at the expense of _____ - Answer- states in the South and West;
states in the Northeast and the Midwest
The franking privilege, which allows members of congress to send mailings free of
charge, reinforces an incumbency advantage because - Answer- members can remind
constituents of their activities and service through these mailings, and make themselves
more visible.
Although the practice was used before, every president since Reagan has made routine
use of "signing statements," or written remarks issued along with the signing of a bill, to
expand presidential power. What has been notable about this more recent, expanded
use of signing statements? - Answer- Presidents have used them to reinterpret and
sometimes nullify congressional law.
In contemporary American times --- when political parties are weaker and the media
landscape is more diverse and fractured, thus making popular presidential appeals less
effective-- president have increasingly relied on ___ as a means of gaining and using
power - Answer- administrative strategies
The traditional but informal designation for the heads of all the major departments of the
federal government in the United States is the - Answer- cabinet
, Some bureaucracies are intended to promote, serve, or represent a particular interest.
What is the term used to describe this type of department or bureau? - Answer- clientele
agency
Policies having to do with taxing and spending are generally referred to as - Answer-
fiscal
Which group helps set monetary policy for the United States by making changes to the
interest rate and the money supply? - Answer- federal reserve system
During oral arguments - Answer- attorneys for both sides present their positions before
the Court and answer questions from the justices.
Some members of the majority may agree with both the outcome and the rationale of a
Supreme Court decision but wish to draft a ________ to emphasize or highlight a
particular point. - Answer- concurrence
The trial courts of general jurisdiction at the federal level are called ________ courts. -
Answer- district
Under the Constitution, the president can appoint ambassadors, federal judges, and top
executive officers, but only with - Answer- Advice and consent of the senate
Which term describes the direct services and benefits that congressional
representatives provide for their districts, such as appointing supporters to government
offices or conferring grants and licenses to constituents? - Answer- patronage
If the president vetoes a bill, - Answer- the veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote
in both the House and Senate
With the Electoral College, the Constitution's framers wanted to create a presidency that
would be more responsible to ________ than the people. - Answer- state and local
legislators
Presidential media strategies and public appeals regarding their policy programs have
rarely been consistently effective, mainly because - Answer- policies backed by the
executive almost inevitably fall short of voter expectations, leading to declines in
presidential approval ratings, even if they may bounce back.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is a large agency housed within the
Department of Agriculture. Like several other agencies within the USDA, it has multiple
subunits, including ones dedicated to public health, investigations and enforcement, and
public relations. What type of agency would the FSIS most clearly appear to be? -
Answer- a specialized or bureau-level agency of a cabinet department
100% CORRECT ANSWERS (GRADED
A+)
When a regulatory agency charges a person or business suspected of violating a
particular rule or regulation and holds a hearing on the matter, it engages in - Answer-
administrative adjudication
Once the president has formally nominated an individual for the courts, the appointee
must be approved by the ________ and then confirmed by the ________. - Answer-
senate judiciary committee; Full senate
At the federal level, the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal are the courts of last resort for
most cases, whether civil or criminal, because - Answer- the U.S. Supreme Court can
choose what cases it wants to hear, among those appealed from lower courts.
A joint committee created to iron out differences between house and senate versions of
the same bill is called - Answer- conference committee
In recent decades, the statutory limit on the number of House seats has given an
advantage to ____ at the expense of _____ - Answer- states in the South and West;
states in the Northeast and the Midwest
The franking privilege, which allows members of congress to send mailings free of
charge, reinforces an incumbency advantage because - Answer- members can remind
constituents of their activities and service through these mailings, and make themselves
more visible.
Although the practice was used before, every president since Reagan has made routine
use of "signing statements," or written remarks issued along with the signing of a bill, to
expand presidential power. What has been notable about this more recent, expanded
use of signing statements? - Answer- Presidents have used them to reinterpret and
sometimes nullify congressional law.
In contemporary American times --- when political parties are weaker and the media
landscape is more diverse and fractured, thus making popular presidential appeals less
effective-- president have increasingly relied on ___ as a means of gaining and using
power - Answer- administrative strategies
The traditional but informal designation for the heads of all the major departments of the
federal government in the United States is the - Answer- cabinet
, Some bureaucracies are intended to promote, serve, or represent a particular interest.
What is the term used to describe this type of department or bureau? - Answer- clientele
agency
Policies having to do with taxing and spending are generally referred to as - Answer-
fiscal
Which group helps set monetary policy for the United States by making changes to the
interest rate and the money supply? - Answer- federal reserve system
During oral arguments - Answer- attorneys for both sides present their positions before
the Court and answer questions from the justices.
Some members of the majority may agree with both the outcome and the rationale of a
Supreme Court decision but wish to draft a ________ to emphasize or highlight a
particular point. - Answer- concurrence
The trial courts of general jurisdiction at the federal level are called ________ courts. -
Answer- district
Under the Constitution, the president can appoint ambassadors, federal judges, and top
executive officers, but only with - Answer- Advice and consent of the senate
Which term describes the direct services and benefits that congressional
representatives provide for their districts, such as appointing supporters to government
offices or conferring grants and licenses to constituents? - Answer- patronage
If the president vetoes a bill, - Answer- the veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote
in both the House and Senate
With the Electoral College, the Constitution's framers wanted to create a presidency that
would be more responsible to ________ than the people. - Answer- state and local
legislators
Presidential media strategies and public appeals regarding their policy programs have
rarely been consistently effective, mainly because - Answer- policies backed by the
executive almost inevitably fall short of voter expectations, leading to declines in
presidential approval ratings, even if they may bounce back.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is a large agency housed within the
Department of Agriculture. Like several other agencies within the USDA, it has multiple
subunits, including ones dedicated to public health, investigations and enforcement, and
public relations. What type of agency would the FSIS most clearly appear to be? -
Answer- a specialized or bureau-level agency of a cabinet department
