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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 23rd Amendment guaranteed voting rights to whom?






2. 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






3. By far - the largest amount of federal aid to state and local governments comes in the form of:






4. Number of current cabinet positions under GW Bush.






5. Responsible for determining which bills will be considered on the House floor - and when they will be considered.






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






7. This customary power allows the President to grant reprieves and pardons for federal offenses.






8. 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






9. A registered voter may vote in any party primary regardless of his own party affiliation. When voters do not register with a party before the primary - it is called a pick-a-party primary because the voter can select which party's primary he or she w






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






11. Senators are re-elected every ___ years with 1/3 of the Senate being up for election every 2 years.






12. Laws must be reasonable. The Supreme Court has abandoned this concept in regards to business matters citing that it is the responsibility of Congress to regulate economic matters. The court has continued to apply this to matters of civil liberties an






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






14. 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.






15. In this case - a gay man from Georgia charged with committing sodomy in his own home with a consenting adult. The court ruled that the Constitution does not explicitly grant the right for homosexuals to practice their lifestyle and that laws against






16. Process by which citizens propose an amendment by petition.






17. 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.






18. PACs may donate a ______________ amount of indirect or in-kind donations to a campaign. (Ex. placing ads to support their candidate)






19. The gap between the government's income and outlays.






20. 1976 Law requiring all governmental agency meetings to be open to the public unless classified information will be discussed.






21. A legislature with only one house.






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. These two Senate standing committees have existed - largely unchanged - since 1816.






24. 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.






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






26. Concept of the British statesman Edmund Burke that legislators should act according to their own consciences.






27. (1945-1991) The period after the Second World War marked by rivalry and tension between the two nuclear superpowers - the United States and the communist government of the Soviet Union. The Cold War ended when the Soviet government collapsed in 1991.






28. Most states have ___________ legislatures.






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






30. Number of Senators elected at large per state -






31. In the 1962 case of Robinson v. California - the Supreme Court ruled that incarcerating a drug addict is ______________________ because drug addiction is an illness.






32. What principle - contained in the Fourth Amendment - protects a citizen from unwarranted search and seizure?






33. People may vote in a party's primary only if they are registered members of that party. Independents cannot participate. Note that because some political parties name themselves independent - the term 'non-partisan' often replaces 'independent' when






34. Method by which federal court judges may lose their position.






35. Money spent by individuals or gorups not asociated with candidates to elect or defeat candidates for office






36. This branch of government checks Bureaucracy through its control over budget and appointments of leadership.






37. Corporations formed by the government to act as a business to produce a product or service. Often monopolies with varying degrees of independence.






38. Voter turnout is usually ____________ when there is a binding referendum on the ballot.






39. The Supreme Court is the only judicial body that may hear disputes between _________________.






40. Voters tendency to identify with a party that shares their views on important issues ignoring the party's stance on issues they deem less important. to be life-long unless there is a major change in the party's platform. 2. Influenced by ra






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






42. After the bill reaches the house floor - if opponents have many changes - they may vote to ______________________.






43. Number of years a Representative must reside in the US prior to taking office






44. Several Presidents have been elected without winning the popular vote. As a result - In 1970 and 1979 - Amendments were proposed to disband the ______________ - neither passed.






45. In Woodson v. North Carolina - the Supreme Court struck down mandatory sentencing of capital punishment as ______________________ because it does not allow for any discretion.






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






47. An interest group organization that represents a specific group of people (Ex. NAACP - AARP)






48. The pursuit and exercise of power.






49. Protects against unreasonable search and seizure.






50. In some cases where blicity too much publicity surrounds a trial - courts have granted _______________ to help ensure a fair trial. One example is the trial of Timothy McVeigh for the Oklahoma City Bombing.







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