Test your basic knowledge |

CLEP American Government

Subjects : clep, civics
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Cabinet department that includes the FAA and the National Hwy Traffic Safety Administration. Established in 1966.






2. A powerful alliance of mutual benefit among an agency or unit of the government - an interest group - and a committee or subcommittee of Congress. Also called a triangle or a subgovernment.






3. Appointed by Eisenhower - this Supreme court justice who played an important role in the court's stance on the advancement of civil rights.






4. The House appropriations committee has ___ subcommittees.






5. PACs may donate a ______________ amount of indirect or in-kind donations to a campaign. (Ex. placing ads to support their candidate)






6. A meeting of party leaders to select candidates - elect convention delegates - etc






7. A method of polling - considered less reliable than a random sample - in which interviewers are instructed to question members of a particular group in proportion to their percentage in the population as a whole.






8. The amount of money available when the government's income is greater than what it spends in a fiscal year.






9. This act prohibited Discrimination because of race - color - sex - religion - or national origin by employers or labor unions; The adoption by voting registrars of different standards for black and white applicants; and Racial or religious discrimina






10. Courts of original jurisdiction in federal crimes - civil suits under federal law - civil suits between citizens of different states where the amount in question exceeds $50 -000 - bankruptcy proceedings - cases involving some federal administrative






11. Cabinet department that includes the Coast Guard - Border Patrol - FEMA - Transportation Security Administration - INS and the Secret Service. Established in 2001 in response to 9/11.






12. The Supreme Court practice of applying most of the provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states under the 14th Amendment.






13. A group of independent states or nations that come together for a common purpose and whose central authority is usually limited to defense and foreign relations.






14. In an election with more than 2 options - the number of votes for the candidate or party receiving the greatest number - but less that half of the votes.






15. When the minority party becomes stronger than the majority party - usually the result of winning a critical election.






16. This Supreme Court case infamously decided that a slave was not a citizen but property to be 'used in subservience to the interests - the convenience - or the will of his owner'






17. Powers of government that are specifically granted to the three branches of the federal government under the Constitution.






18. The right to renounce one's citizenship.






19. A method of amending state constitutions under which proposed constitutional amendments can be placed on the ballot if enough signatures are obtained on a petition. Almost half the states also employ the initiative on the ballot to allow voters to en






20. The concept that all people are of equal worth - even if not of equal ability.






21. Voter turnout is usually ____________ when there is a binding referendum on the ballot.






22. An extraordinary writ commanding an official to perform a ministerial act that the law recognizes as an absolute duty and not a matter for the official's discretion






23. In Tinker v. Des Moines School District (1969) - the Supreme Court established precedents for ___________________ in schools and government institutions.






24. Elections that may lead to a basic shift in the party identification of the electorate.






25. To negotiate a complex and politically sensitive trade treaty - a President will often






26. _____________ was the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in controlling New York City politics and helping immigrants (most notably the Irish) rise up in American politics from the 1790s to the 1960s.






27. In Sweatt v. Painter (1950) - The Supreme Court upheld that ___________________ was inherently not the case as is applied to the University of Texas Law School.






28. An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other - so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted






29. A political group organized under section 527 of the IRS code that may accept and spend unlimited amounts of money on election activities so long as they are not spent on broadcast ads run in the last 30 days before a primary or 60 days before a gene






30. According to V. O. Key - Jr. - the Populist Party of the 1890s is an example of a ____________________.






31. Defamation by oral utterance rather than by writing - pictures






32. A law passed by Congress in 1973 in an effort to set a time limit on the use of combat forces abroad by a president.






33. This 1973 ruling gave local communities the authority to determine obscenity - established three part test for obscene material. To qualify as obscene - speech must be considered obscene by the 'average' person - depict or describe material that is a






34. Also known as the Massachusetts ballot - groups candidates according to the office for which they are running






35. Which form of registration prevails in all but a few states?






36. Cabinet department responsible for regulating and promoting trade and maintaining the census Established in 1913..






37. This branch of government checks Bureaucracy through its control over budget and appointments of leadership.






38. Committees created by Congress to conduct special investigations. Although normally temporary - some become - in effect - permanent.






39. Formal approval or consent given to a constitution - constitutional amendment - or treaty before it goes into effect.






40. The belief that one is effective when participating in politics - for example that the government will respond to one's demands






41. A small group of voters chosen by a political campaign for their demographic similarities who are brought together to gauge how the group they represent feels about the candidate.






42. An issue on which voters distinguish rival parties by the degree to which they associate each party or candidate with conditions - goals - or symbols the electorate universally approves or disapproves of. Examples of such issues are economic prosperi






43. Judicial Check on Legislative Branch. Not specifically outlined in the Constitution - but established in the case of Marbury v. Madison through the application of the Supremacy Clause in Article VI.






44. In Congress - _____________ are informal organizations of individual congressional representatives with like interests or constituencies. Members work together to promote the interests of the groups they represent through legislation - policy - and p






45. Prohibits the use of cruel or unusual punishment.






46. Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents.






47. Court cases that concern crimes committed against the public order.






48. Assistants to the Majority and Minority Leaders of both the House and Senate.






49. The concentration of economic power in the hands of a relatively few large companies.






50. Prohibits conviction of a crime that occurred before the act became illegal