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. A declaration by the President in 1823 that warned European powers to keep out of the Western Hemisphere and pledged that the United States would not intervene in the internal affairs of Europe.






2. Tax legislation must originate in this house.






3. ________________ of the Constitution dictates how the Constitution shall be amended.






4. First Roman Catholic elected President.






5. Laws on Schools - Marriage - and owning property;Licensee Lawyers - Doctors - and Teachers.






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






7. A tax on voting abolished by the Twenty-fourth Amendment in 1964 - long used by southern states to keep blacks (and - in some cases - poor whites) from participating in elections.






8. Guarantees the right to bare arms.






9. The power of the president - struck down by the Supreme Court in 1998 - to veto parts of appropriations bills. Most state governors have this power.






10. Appointed by Eisenhower - this Supreme court justice who played an important role in the court's stance on the advancement of civil rights.






11. The vote cast by a person who does not like either candidate and so votes for the less objectionable of the two - putting a clothespin over his nose to keep out the unpleasant stench






12. A form of city government under which a council - usually elected on a nonpartisan ticket - hires a professional city manager - who runs the city government and has power to hire and fire officials.






13. If significant amendments are made to a bill during committee - the bill is sometimes given a new number as a _______________.






14. In charge of all state funds. Supervises the collection of taxes and payment of state's bill






15. Individual contributions to PACs are limited to ______________ dollars per candidate per election with primaries - general and special elections counting separately.






16. Department established in 1988 by President G.H. Bush.

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17. 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






18. Federal grants in which the recipient has little discretion over how the money is spent. The national government sets narrowly defined rules for use of funds and often requires the states or local governments to provide matching funds. These grants a






19. Members of the ______________ committee of a political party work to maintain influence during non election years through congressional campaign committees.






20. Spending by the national committees of the political parties to support the election of congressional candidates is known as






21. Head of the Supreme Court.






22. 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.






23. German sociologist theorized that the engine of government needs bureaucracies to provide expertise in a way that short-term elected or appointed official cannot.






24. An official document - published every weekday - which lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies.






25. Makes sure that funds are used safely and wisely. They oversee the state's financial records






26. Serious crimes - such as murder - arson - or rape.






27. This 1st amendment clause prohibits the government from making any law prohibiting the exercise of any religion






28. The formal source of all authority in each major political party. It nominates the party candidates for president and vice president - writes a platform - settles disputes - writes rules - and elects the members of the national committee.






29. Which two British Acts - passed in 1764 - caused American colonists for the first time to organize protests against the injustices of British rule - and sparked the rallying cry 'no taxation without representation'?






30. Constitutional Article that establishes the Judicial Branch.






31. Formal approval or consent given to a constitution - constitutional amendment - or treaty before it goes into effect.






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






33. Under this governing document - national government lacked authority to set up tariffs - regulate commerce - levy taxes - control international relations - establish common currency






34. The period of time after the election of FDR until the Vietnam War was dominated by the Democratic Party and know as the __________________ Era.






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






36. A policy that takes something away from one person and gives it to someone else -






37. The spread of nuclear weapons to new nations






38. 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.






39. A form of city government under which a board of city commissioners is popularly elected (often on a nonpartisan ballot). The commissioners make policy as a city council - but they also run city departments as administrators.






40. A broadly based coalition that attempts to gain control of the government by winning elections in order to exercise power and reward its members.






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






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






43. Today the Senate operates with ____ standing and select committees. These select committees - however - are permanent in nature and are treated as standing committees under Senate rules.






44. Prohibits the use of cruel or unusual punishment.






45. Cabinet department responsible for insuring mortgages and providing housing subsidies. Established in 1965






46. These voters tend to have a high voter turnout because of their strong since of civic duty due to growing up during an era of political and civil unrest.






47. Dayton Board of Education v. Brinkman (1979) upheld that bussing programs were an acceptable way to enforce ______________________.






48. A course of action decided upon by a government






49. Number of Electoral College votes required to win the Presidency.






50. According to one survey - what percentage of Americans belongs to groups that sometimes take a stand on public issues