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






2. The total amount of money that the United States owes to its creditors.






3. A form of city government under which power is divided between a mayor and an elected city council.






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






5. In 1943 - The Supreme Court upheld the Jehovah's Witnesses right to refrain from saluting the American flag based on their right to _____________.






6. At one time - the press generally refrained from publishing personal information that would be damaging. FDR - Eisenhower - and JFK all benefited from this reluctance to engage in _____________________. However - the American publics appetite for sen






7. Lobbyists for special interest groups have found ____________________ to be the most direct and effective method to secure their objectives in Congress.






8. Which committee assignments would confer the most power and influence on members of the Senate?






9. International agreements between the president and foreign heads of state that - unlike treaties - do not require Senate approval.






10. A provision in a deed to real property prohibiting its sale to a person of a particular race or religion. Judicial enforcement is unconstitutional.






11. This term refers to the gain in the polls that a candidate often enjoys after a national convention






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






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






14. Agenda that includes issues that affect the daily lives of the people.






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






16. Included are Agriculture - Nutrition - and Forestry; Appropriations; Armed Services; Banking - Housing and Urban Affairs; Commerce - Science and Transportation; Energy and Natural Resources; Environment and Public Works; Finance; Health - Education -






17. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendment to bills or provides that only memebers of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments






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






19. The framers of the Constitution created the Senate to function as a check on the ________________.






20. Age Requirement for the Senate






21. Held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November.






22. A series of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton - John Jay - and James Madison under the pseudonym Publius advocating the ratification of the United States Constitution.






23. David R. Mayhew has suggested that this influences congressional behavior. The ________________ is the relationship between members of Congress and their constituents.






24. A legal principle of fair dealing - which may provide preventive measures and legal remedies that are unavailable under existing common law and statutory law.






25. Tax legislation must originate in this house.






26. 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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27. The principle of civilian control of the military - based on the clear constitutional power of the president as supreme commander of the armed forces.






28. Practice by which voters of one party crossing over and voting in the primary of another party - effectively allowing a party to help choose its opposition's candidate.






29. Spending determined by the number of qualified recipients and their legally determined need is called






30. Prompted by the ____________________ - the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.






31. The pursuit and exercise of power






32. Because there is no Senate Rules Committee - Senators can debate a bill for an _________________ time.






33. When neither political party is dominant.






34. A course of action chosen by government officials






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






36. A provision of law in which Congress asserts the power to nullify actions of the executive branch. In 1983 the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional - but Congress continued to pass laws containing such provisions.






37. 1917 Reincarnation of the Sedition Act during WWI






38. Unwritten law based on custom and tradition.






39. Federal and State Courts function in a _____________manner so that federal courts may receive appeals from state courts.






40. The Medicaid and Food Stamp programs are examples of two very large






41. ______________________is responsible for the management of the federal debt and the printing of currency. It is the major fiscal policy agency.






42. Which branch has the power to stop an executive order?






43. An economic system in which the factors of production are owned by the publicand operate for the welfare of all.






44. There are 11 circuit ____________________ who have no original jurisdiction.






45. These two Senate standing committees have existed - largely unchanged - since 1816.






46. 1966 Act allowing citizens to inspect all government records with the exception of classified military or intelligence documents - trade secrets or private personnel files.






47. Presidential management model requiring the President to have strong leadership skills and a keen eye for detail. FDR and JFK were well known for this style of leadership.






48. The body composed of electors from the 50 states who formally have the power to elect the president and vice president of the United States. Each state has a number of electors and electoral votes equal to its number of senators and representatives i






49. Puerto Rico has ____________ status.






50. The tendency of presidents to lose support over time.