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Test your basic knowledge |
CLEP American Government
Start Test
Study First
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. Under this governing document - national government lacked authority to set up tariffs - regulate commerce - levy taxes - control international relations - establish common currency
Articles of Confederation
Public Policy
AARP
Impartial
2. Year of the 2nd Continental Congress.
1776
Electoral College
Bureaucracy
The Federalist #10
3. A method available in most states that allows voters - in effect - to 'veto' a bill passed by the legislature or to accept or reject a proposal - such as a bond issue - made by a government agency.
New Jersey Plan
Blacks
Referendum
Federalist Papers
4. First civil rights organization to use non-violent tactics to promote racial equality and desegregation
Administrative Law
Issue network
CORE
17th
5. Constitutional Article that establishes the Judicial Branch.
Home Rule
Republicans
General Election
Article III
6. A broad concept that may be defined in many ways - but the term is generally used to refer to the basic protection and defense of the nation.
Independent Regulatory Agencies
Adversarial
National Security
Dies
7. This 1967 Supreme Court case prohibited illegal eavesdropping and extending the zone of privacy to include the home - office - person - and immediate public arena.
Patriot Act
Katz. v US
Ratification
Parallel
8. The framers of the Constitution created the Senate to function as a check on the ________________.
Clear and Present Danger
Charter Colonies
House of Representatives
Party Column Ballot
9. Broadly worded warrants used by British soldiers during colonial America to search for contraband and prevent smuggling.
Gitlow v. New York
House of Representatives
Writ of Assistance
Royal Colonies
10. A group of writers - journalists - and critics who exposed corporate malfeasance and political corruption in the first decade of the 20th century.
14
Muckrakers
Habeas Corpus
Republican
11. The concept that political power rests with the people who can create - alter - and abolish government. People express themselves through voting and free participation in government
Wallace's Progressives
House Standing Committees
Speaker of the House
Popular Sovereignty
12. 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.
Elastic Clause
Segregation
Government Corporations
527 Organizations
13. Cabinet department that includes the FAA and the National Hwy Traffic Safety Administration. Established in 1966.
Brown v. Board of Education Topeka - Kansas
Transportation
Chief Justice
Interstate Compact
14. The claim by presidents of an inherent right to withhold information from Congress and the judiciary.
Implementation
2/3
Executive Privilege
Secondary Group
15. The pursuit and exercise of power
Selective Incorporation
Line-Item Veto
Politics
6th Amendment
16. In which case did the Supreme Court rule that the 1964 Civil Rights Act does not prohibit private affirmative action programs?
National Chair
presidential line-item veto
Public Opinion
Weber
17. Disapproval of a bill by a chief executive - such as the president or a governor.
Veto
7
Vietnam War
14th
18. An election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for a subsequent election. In other words - one means by which a political party nominate candidates for the following general election.s
Speech Plus
Department of State
Conservatism
Primary
19. An opinion of one or more judges expressing disagreement with the majority opinion of the court which gives rise to its judgment.
Democratic
Court of Appeals
Exit Polls
Dissenting Opinion
20. In addition to a quick and speedy trial - the 6th Amendment also guarantees ________________.
Probable Cause
Council of Economic Advisors
Petition of Right
Right to Counsel
21. Members of this party typically include Conservative Christian groups - higher socio-economic classes - middle-class white collar - and suburban voters.
Power Structure
Espionage Act
Budget Resolutions
Republican
22. The House appropriations committee has ___ subcommittees.
Republicans
Unlimited
Absolute Position
12
23. A system in which the power to govern is shared between national and state governments
War Powers Resolution
Affirmative Action
Interior
Federalism
24. A course of action chosen by government officials
Equity
Equal Time
Freedom of Speech
Public Policy
25. Things government decides to do - example: taxation - crime control - national defense - education - etc.
Riders
Alien and Sedition Acts
Public Policies
Republicans
26. 1798 Act that criminalized speech that was derisive to the government. Later ruled unconstitutional - Andrew Jackson issued blanket pardon in 1801
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Hold
Alien and Sedition Acts
Stare Decisis
27. Loose - competitive relationships among policy experts - interest groups - congressional committees - and federal agencies. Many observers argue that these have replaced iron triangles.
Institutional
Due Process of Law
legislative and executive
Issue network
28. A political candidate who is thought to have only an outside chance of gaining the nomination.
Dark Horse
Democrats
Federalist Papers
Automobiles
29. Concept of the British statesman Edmund Burke that legislators should act according to their own consciences.
Intelligence
Party Identification
Trustee
Party Realignment
30. Bills that benefit legislators' home districts - or powerful corporate contributors - with sometimes wasteful or unnecessary public works or other projects.
Pork-Barrel Legislation
Selective Incorporation
Cycle of Decreasing Influence
Dies
31. 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.
Low
Select Committee
The Federal Reserve Board
Focus Groups
32. A group of high-level administrators and managers at the top of the government bureaucracy. SES members have less job tenure but are eligible for substantial cash bonuses for merit.
Unicameral
Trustee
Senior Executive Service
Inverse
33. The name commonly given to a private group - regardless of size - organized to elect political candidates. An organization becomes one by receiving contributions or making expenditures in excess of $1 -000 for the purpose of influencing a federal ele
Federalism
Political Action Committee
Poll Tax
Soft Money
34. 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
Caucuses
Bull Moose Progressives
Contract Clause
President Pro Tempore
35. Legislative house whose members were intended to represent the people.
Habeas Corpus
Nuclear Proliferation
Dred Scott
House of Representatives
36. The introductory statement of the U.S. Constitution - setting forth the general principles of American government and beginning with the words - 'We the people of the United States - in order to form a more perfect union. ...'
Preamble
Office Column Ballot
435
3
37. When the population's overall feeling of political efficacy is low - voter turnout is _______.
Low
Article III
Third Parties
Impeachment
38. Information sent out in order to observe the reaction of an audience. Used by politicians who deliberately leak information on a policy change under consideration.
Trial Balloon
Writ of Mandamus
Freedom of Religion
Voting
39. The Supremacy Clause appears in ________________ of the Constitution.
Legislative
Lobbying
Article VI
Double Jeopardy
40. Colonies controlled by the British king through governors appointed by him and through the king's veto power over colonial laws.
Energy
Civil Cases
Permanent Registration
Royal Colonies
41. This article of the Constitution establishes the Executive Branch.
Omaha platform
Committees
Article II
Dark Horse
42. In the view of W. Lance Bennett - the people who hold and express opinions are constantly changing - as are the issues and conditions to which the public responds. As a result - Bennett suggests that public opinion is______________.
Reynolds v. Sims
Situational
Gay
Committees
43. The number of ______________ a state receives is based on the number Representatives and Senators that the state has in Congress
Electoral Votes
Globalization
Balancing Test
Offensive Language
44. A loose grouping of people and organizations who seek to influence policy formation.
High
Executive Agreements
Issue Networks
Spoils System
45. 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.
Katz. v US
Raiding
Democratic
Enumerated Powers
46. The possible tendency of some voters or convention delegates to support the candidate who is leading in the polls and seems likely to win.
Quota Sampling
Monopoly
Conventions
Bandwagon
47. Laws must be administered in a fair manner.
Jury of Peers
Procedural Due Process
Union Shop
Foreign Policy
48. This clause of the 1st amendment establishes a 'wall of separation' between church and state.
Supreme Court
Establishment Clause
Flexible Construction
Republicans
49. Process by which citizens propose an amendment by petition.
Committees of Correspondence
Council-Manager Plan
General Accounting Office
Constitutional Initiative
50. Voters in a political district - or supporters of an elected official; or interest groups or client groups that are either directly regulated by the bureaucracy or vitally affected by its decisions.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Rank and File
Constituencies
Unicameral