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. In 1992 - the television networks agreed not to release these until a majority of polling places had closed in each state






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






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






4. 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 _____________.






5. Cabinet department responsible for collective bargaining and union activity. Established in 1913






6. Presidential management model in which the Chief of Staff plays a prominent role as the head of a military style chain of command. Used successfully by Reagan and Eisenhower.






7. Theory of democracy in which competition among common interest groups promote ideas to influence politics






8. 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






9. Eisenhower's philosophy of being liberal in all things human and being conservative with all things fiscal. Appealed to both Republicans and Democrats.






10. Proponents of limited government - unregulated free markets - national self-reliance - and conventional social values are best describes as






11. California measure designed to deny welfare and other benefits to illegal aliens. Overwhelmingly passed the popular vote - but overturned in federal court because it extending beyond the bounds of state rights to attempt to control immigration.






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






13. Bills that benefit legislators' home districts - or powerful corporate contributors - with sometimes wasteful or unnecessary public works or other projects.






14. Once the Supreme Court justices have agreed to hear an appeal - they issue a _________________.






15. ______________ refers to the differences in political attitudes and voting behavior between men and women






16. Which of the following factors is likely to be the weakest indicator of an individual's political beliefs and opinions? Age - Race - Intelligence - or Religion






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






18. Requires the Electoral College to vote for President and Vice President separately.






19. Most Americans support ______________ primarily as part of their criticism of PACs






20. Cabinet department oversees nuclear reactors.Established in 1973 in response to the Energy Crisis.






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






22. This Supreme Court case infamously decided that a slave was not a citizen but property to be 'used in subservience to the interests - the convenience - or the will of his owner'






23. A law passed in 1966 that requires federal executive branch and regulatory agencies to make information available to journalists - scholars - and the public unless it falls into one of several confidential categories.






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






25. Economists generally agree that the major responsibility for promoting prosperity and full employment falls on ________________.






26. The fundamental rights of a free society that are protected by the Bill of Rights against the power of the government - such as freedom of speech - religion - press - and assembly.






27. This body of government has final authority on the meaning of the Constitution.






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






29. _____________ are expected to specialize in a few policy areas rather than claim expertise in the whole range of legislative concerns






30. A Latin phrase meaning 'stand by past decisions -' a principle that judges often use in deciding cases. Ruling based on precedents.






31. 3 person executive panel responsible for helping the President develop an economic plan for the nation.






32. The right of the Supreme Court - under the Constitution - to hear certain kinds of cases directly - such as cases involving foreign diplomats - or cases in which one of the 50 states is a party.






33. Committees appointed for investigative or crisis situations.






34. The Jacksonian Era marked an important change in the process used to nominate Presidential candidates with the emergence of party _________________ - eliminating caucuses.






35. An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on a sharply limited government - promoting a free market economy - a non-interventionist foreign policy - and an absence of regulation in the moral and social spheres.






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






37. The average voter turnout between 1960 and 2004 was __________ percent






38. Colonies in which freely elected legislatures chose the governor and the king could not veto laws.






39. In the mid-term elections following a President's inauguration - his party tends to ___________ seats in Congress.






40. In Congress - _____________ are informal organizations of individual congressional representatives with like interests or constituencies. Members work together to promote the interests of the groups they represent through legislation - policy - and p






41. Wisconsin Republican who exploited public concern for political gain during the 1950's through freewheeling investigations of alleged Communists.






42. Groups named for the section of the Internal Revenue Service code under which they must report their expenditures. The tax-exempt groups were created to exploit a loophole in the law regulating campaign finance.






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






44. In his historic decision in the case of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) - Chief Justice Marshall established the principle of _____________.






45. The 24th amendment banned _____________ - making it harder for states to discriminate against poor and minority voters.






46. This contraversial 2001 law allows anti-terrorism authorities to monitor e-mail and Internet traffic in order to prevent terrorist attacks. The government argues that cyberspace is public domain and that no warrants should be needed to access informa






47. A legislative leader of each party who is responsible for rounding up party members for important votes.






48. To an extent - the press and the government have a relationship that is _______________ and mutually dependent.






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






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