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 relationship between the total cost of foreign goods imported to this country and sales of U.S. products overseas.






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






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






4. 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






5. The practice of victorious politicians to reward their followers with jobs. Also known as the spoils system.






6. Established in 1947 as a combined Department of War and Navy.






7. 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.






8. The absent colony at the 2nd Continental Congress.






9. In states using primaries - the most common form of primary election is the ___________ primary.






10. Minimum number of voters per state in the Electoral College.






11. Inherent powers of state governments to pass laws to protect health - safety - and welfare; the national government has no directly granted police powers but accomplishes the same goals through other delegated powers.






12. 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.






13. Author of The Spirit of the Laws advocating balance of power in politics with liberty is dependant upon a separation of the judicial - legislative - and executive branches of government.






14. A loose grouping of people and organizations who seek to influence policy formation.






15. Each Senate committee may have ________ subcommittees.






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






17. In a 1943 case - the Supreme Court upheld the right to refuse to salute the American flag on the basis of the constitutional guarantee of _________________.






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






19. 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.






20. Lawsuit brought by an individual or group of people on behalf of all those similarly situated






21. 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






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






23. A writ designed to protect against illegal imprisonment by requiring that a person who is detained be brought before a judge for investigation.






24. Capital punishment is also known as the _________________.






25. Decides which bills will be considered.






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






27. The 1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine that prompted King George III's Prohibitory Act and the sending of mercenaries to the colonies.






28. The uprising of farmers angered by crushing debt and taxes that revealed the failure of the Articles of Confederation.

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






30. Also known as the Indiana ballot - lists the candidates of each party in a row or column - beside or under the party emblem. In most cases - the voter can make one mark at the top of the column - or pull one lever - and thus vote for all the party's






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






32. Protects against unreasonable search and seizure.






33. A legislature with only one house.






34. He United States Constitution was opposed by which group?






35. 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.






36. Freedoms that protect the individual from the government.






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






38. Permitted court authorized wire-tapping and bugging by federal - state - and local authorities and use of such evidence in trial. Later reversed by the Supreme Court based on 4th Amendment rights.






39. In Johnson v. Texas (1989) - the Supreme Court ruled that burning the flag in a manner that does not pose a threat to people or property is allowed as this type of freedom of speech.






40. A compulsory national insurance program - financed by taxes on employers and employees. The insurance falls into four categories: old-age and survivors insurance - disability insurance - Medicare - and unemployment insurance.






41. A centralized system of government - such as that of France - where most of the important policy decisions are made by a central government.






42. Law enacted by Congress - or by state legislatures or local legislative bodies.






43. _______________ indicates a citizens' faith and trust in government and their own belief that they can understand and influence political affairs






44. 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.






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






46. A ruling by the Supreme Court in 1857






47. A close contest; by extension - any contest in which the focus is on who is ahead and how much rather than on substantive differences between the candidates.






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






49. States that states may draw reasonable distinctions between the rights of residents and non-residents (ex. In state and out of state tuition)






50. The power of some municipalities to modify their charters and run their affairs without approval by the state legislature.