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. The Equal Rights Amendment was defeated in 1982 because ____________________________.






2. The Supreme Court has sometimes used a narrow interpretation of the Establishment Clause allowing the government to provide aid to religious groups as long as it remains ______________ and does not promote one religion at the expense of another. This






3. Control of a market by a single company.






4. The process by which individuals screen out messages that do not conform to their own biases






5. Signed the executive order banning segregation in the armed forces.






6. A term popularized by sociologist Floyd Hunter to describe the community leaders who he said determined policy in Atlanta - Georgia. More broadly - the term is used to describe 'power elites' generally.






7. Article VII of the Constitution outlines the process of ____________________.






8. When the President's own party gains power and influence - it more puts pressure on the President to conform to the will of the party - leading to________________ between the President and the party to define their public identities






9. Serious crimes - such as murder - arson - or rape.






10. This House committee is responsible for all taxes - tariffs - and other revenue raising measures in addition to social security - child support - Medicare - foster care - and unemployment.






11. Infamous 1735 English case established the precedent for Freedom of the Press in the US.






12. Things government decides to do - example: taxation - crime control - national defense - education - etc.






13. A federal program established in 1965 to provide hospital and medical services to older people through the Social Security system.






14. This 1964 case established strict standards for proving slander and libel - court must prove intent of malice on the part of the publisher.






15. Prohibits citizens of one state or foreign country from suing another state.






16. 1974 Act mandating that all government files about private citizens be kept confidential.






17. A vote in the House of Representatives in which the position of each member is noted and published in the Congressional Record.






18. Responsibilities include: Coordinating the nation's intelligence activities and Evaluating and disseminating intelligence that affects national security






19. Compromise between the large states and small states that established the bicameral Legislature consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives. Also included 3/5 compromise on the status of slaves in representation.






20. ____________ often influence political appointments in an effort to influence bureaucracy.






21. A broadly based coalition that attempts to gain control of the government by winning elections in order to exercise power and reward its members.






22. The binding decisions that the government makes whether in the form of laws -regulations - or judicial decisions






23. 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.






24. This type of government suits a large country with a diverse population






25. A White House council created under the National Security Act of 1947 to advise the president and help coordinate American military and foreign policy.






26. Elects the President if no candidate receives 270 Electoral College votes.






27. The ___________ aspects of Federalism include: diversity/diffusion of power - more access points for political participation - fostering of experimentation and innovation - and allowing local governments to manage local problems effectively






28. Clause in the 14th Amendment that forbids any state to deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. The 5th Amendment also imposes this limitation on the national government.






29. While both Asian and Hispanic immigrants experience various types of discrimination - Hispanic immigrants are more likely to experience economic discrimination. This explains why most Hispanics identify with the ____________ party - while Asians do n






30. Judges in Legislative Courts serve _______ terms and do not require impeachment.






31. Colonies controlled by the British king through governors appointed by him and through the king's veto power over colonial laws.






32. A registered voter may vote in any party primary regardless of his own party affiliation. When voters do not register with a party before the primary - it is called a pick-a-party primary because the voter can select which party's primary he or she w






33. A form of city government under which a board of city commissioners is popularly elected (often on a nonpartisan ballot). The commissioners make policy as a city council - but they also run city departments as administrators.






34. Federal grants in which the recipient has little discretion over how the money is spent. The national government sets narrowly defined rules for use of funds and often requires the states or local governments to provide matching funds. These grants a






35. Bills passed by Congress to pay for the spending it has authorized.






36. An economic philosophy that advocates both tax and budget cuts to increase incentives to produce in order to expand the total supply of the nation's goods and services.






37. Between 1909 and 2002 - the number of daily newspapers in the United States______________.






38. Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial.






39. A broad concept that may be defined in many ways - but the term is generally used to refer to the basic protection and defense of the nation.






40. These dissenting Republicans won 17% of the popular vote in 1924 on a platform for public control of national resources and railways - tax reductions - and changes to the staff of the executive department

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41. Which historical figure described democracy as 'the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time?'






42. This category of interest groups has been the strongest and most effective in lobbying Washington






43. The ___________ aspects of Federalism include: conflicts between state and national government - economic and racial discrimination - uneven enforcement of law - and dominance of local governments by special interest groups






44. The 1803 case in which the Supreme Court - by declaring a portion of an act of Congress unconstitutional - first firmly set forth and established the power of judicial review.






45. The 23rd Amendment guaranteed voting rights to whom?






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






47. The federal fiscal year begins ___________.






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






49. The way things should be by law






50. Organization of individuals with similar policy goals who enter the political process to influence legislation that affects the organizations interests