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






2. 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






3. Term limit for House of Representatives.






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






5. The process through which an individual acquires a set of political attitudes and forms opinions about political and social issues.






6. In lieu of an indictment - the state prosecutor may file a _______________ charging the person with a crime.






7. An economy in which most economic decisions result from the interaction of buyers and sellers in markets - but in which the government plays a significant role in the allocation of resources.






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






9. In Schenck v. US (1919) - The Supreme Court ruled that government may prohibit speech that creates an immediate threat of criminal action. Essentially established different standards for speech during wartime than in peacetime. Thus - establishing th






10. Executive office responsible for negotiating trade with foreign powers.






11. While the voting rights act of 1965 did direct the Attorney General to investigate the constitutionality of poll taxes and prohibit literacy tests - it did not expressly prohibit _____________.






12. Constitutional protection of the accused to not be tried for the same crime twice.






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






14. 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






15. An ideology that advocates limits on government power to address economic and social problems - relying instead on economic markets and individual initiative to address problems like health care and education - while promoting government involvement






16. Capital punishment is also known as the _________________.






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






18. A system of voter registration in which voters must register only once in their district.






19. Which powers of the national government flow from its enumerated powers and from the 'elastic clause' of the Constitution?






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






21. 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.






22. 1940 Act Prohibiting any person from advocating overthrowing the government through violence or force.






23. Gave authority over atomic energy from military to civilians.






24. _____________ is responsible for monetary policy.






25. The practice under which victorious politicians reward their followers with jobs.






26. As part of the negotiations concerning the Constitution - the South fought for and won an agreement forbidding the imposition of _______________.






27. Prohibits the use of cruel or unusual punishment.






28. Libel - obscenity - fighting words - and commercial speech - which are not entitled to constitutional protection in all circumstances.






29. Legislative house responsible for impeachment trials.






30. Polls taken as people leave voting places. In the past - television networks sometimes used these polls to predict election outcomes before the polls close. In 1992 - the television networks agreed not to project the winner in a state until the major






31. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was somewhat undermined by racist practices in the real estate market such as _____________ and ______________ - which continued illegally in many areas following passage of the Act.






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






33. Elections in which the majority party (according to party identification) is defeated in a temporary reversal.






34. The Constitution requires that state governments - like the federal government - must be _____________ in form - with final authority resting with the people.






35. Requires that a suspect in a federal case be arraigned without unnecessary delay.






36. Responsible for further investigation - hearings - and amendment to a bill






37. A pluralist theory by C. Wright Mills where a small number of wealthy elite wield most of the power. Fundamental to all governments around the world - the elite rule while they make the lower classes feel like they are involved in democracy. The elit






38. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill.






39. This contraversial legal technicality intended to protect civil liberties has allowed criminals to remain free when the courts refuse to admit evidence that may have been obtained illegally.






40. The 1896 case of Plessy v. Fergusan established the racial segregation policy of __________________.






41. Plan that proposed bicameral legislature where states were to have representation based on size in both houses.






42. A procedure that in certain circumstances permits voters to remove elected state or local officials from office before their terms have expired.






43. In Argersinger v. Hamlin (1972) - the Supreme Court extended the right to counsel to those accused of misdemeanors if the defendant is _____________.






44. Formed as a third party on the issue of slavery by many former Whigs in the 1850's. Anti-slavery platform. Supported by farmers - laborers - and newly-freed blacks.






45. In addition to overseeing the activities of one or more federal agencies - a ___________________may also serve as the authorizing committee for federal agencies' programs and operations.






46. A system - until modified and reformed in the 1970s - that automatically resulted in the selection as committee chair of those members of the majority party in Congress who had the longest continuous service on a committee.






47. Includes the 13th - 14th - and 15th Amendments. Abolished slavery and guaranteed due process and equal protection to all citizens.






48. In the Federalist Papers - James Madison proposed that the states under the new Constitution would retain ____________ sovereignty.






49. Literally meaning 'right of blood' - confers citizenship to a child from the parents.






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