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. This amendment applied the Bill of Rights to states.






2. President requires their approval to appoint judges - ambassadors and other high officials.






3. Popular until the early 20th century when they lost favor to primaries due to corruption - now used in only 12 states.






4. 1946 Act requiring bureaucratic agencies to appeal to the affected parties before adopting new policies. Legislative check on Bureaucracy.






5. During the 1800's and early 1900's - some state and local party committees became ________________ dominating party activities. Committee members would promise new recruits money - jobs - and other benefits for joining and voting the straight party t






6. Disapproval of a bill by a chief executive - such as the president or a governor.






7. A government that undertakes responsibility for the welfare of its citizens through programs in public health and public housing and pensions and unemployment compensation etc.






8. An individual who does not join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group's influence.






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






10. The median income of women is ___________ percent of men.






11. Programs are designed to give preferential access to education - employment - health care - or social welfare to groups of people - especially minorities and women - who have historically been discriminated against.






12. The oldest House committee still in existence.






13. The Supreme Court holds _____________ jurisdiction in cases against the US - ambassadors - public ministers - and consuls.






14. Executive Check on the Legislative Branch.






15. The 15th Amendment - also know as _________________ - was intended to help recently freed blacks from unconstitutional state laws designed to circumvent federal laws.






16. The right to privacy is ___________ in the Constitution.






17. Unwritten law based on custom and tradition.






18. A legislator who automatically mirrors the will of the majority of his or her constituents.






19. Lead by Daniel Webster and Henry Clay. Dedicated to defending federal authority and high tariffs. Gained supports of merchants - bankers - industrialists and planters.






20. Tests of a voter's ability to read and write - which were often used to keep recent immigrants and blacks from voting.






21. An unwritten custom by which individual senators who belong to the same political party as the president exercise an informal veto power over presidential appointments in their states.






22. Programs of government - universities - and businesses designed to favor minorities and remedy past discrimination.






23. Lead by Theodore Roosevelt - this party platform focused on women's suffrage - social reform - fair business practices - and direct election of senators. The won 25% of the popular vote in 1911 - splitting the Republican vote and allowing Democrat Wo






24. In his classic study of community power in New Haven - Connecticut - political scientist Robert A. Dahl concluded that the city was a __________ system dominated by many different sets of leaders






25. A court decision in an earlier case with facts and legal issues similar to a dispute currently before a court.






26. Political theorist proposed the separation of church and state.






27. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is an example of an






28. Southern whites prevented blacks from ____________ through use of poll taxes - literacy tests and intimidation tactics after the Civil War.






29. The house armed services and foreign affairs committees each have ___ subcommittees.






30. In this essay - James Madison recognized that reconciling the competing interests of various groups was what legislation was all about






31. Number of years a Senator must reside in the US prior to taking office






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






33. The European political philosophers whose writings influenced the concepts of liberty and government contained in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution belonged to the intellectual and cultural movement known as






34. Members of this party typically include Conservative Christian groups - higher socio-economic classes - middle-class white collar - and suburban voters.






35. The constitutional requirement (in article II - sec 3) that presidents take care that the laws are faithfully executed - even if they disagree with the purpose of those laws






36. 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.






37. The strongest factor contributing to an individual's political socialization tends to be






38. The federal fiscal year begins ___________.






39. Which office serves as a watchdog into waste or fraud in the bureaucracy and conducts investigations at the request of congressional committees






40. Political leaders typically try to both lead and follow ____________.






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. 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.






43. The state officer typically responsible for overseeing federal elections at the state level is the






44. This branch of government checks Bureaucracy through its control over the creation and elimination of agencies as well as its control over budget appropriations.






45. It is possible either to describe people - government - politics - and power as isolated - static elements - or to look at them as interacting elements in a_______________.






46. After the bill reaches the house floor - if opponents have many changes - they may vote to ______________________.






47. (1781-1789) The written framework for the government of the original 13 states before the Constitution was adopted. Under this - the national government was weak and dominated by the states. There was a unicameral legislature - but no national execut






48. This was amended in 1985 to prohibit vote dilution without requiring the proof of discriminatory purpose demanded by the original Act.






49. 1940 Act Prohibiting any person from advocating overthrowing the government through violence or force.






50. The expansion of cable and satellite tv has _________________ the president's power to influence public opinion.