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. Tax legislation must originate in this house.






2. _____ out of 9 justices must agree to hear an appellate case brought to them from a lower court.






3. Article VI - Paragraph 2 - of the Constitution - which declares that the Constitution - and the laws and treaties of the United States made under it - are 'the supreme Law of the Land' and prevail over any conflicting state constitutions or laws.






4. Form of obstruction in the Senate where an attempt is made to infinitely extend debate upon a proposal in order to delay the progress or completely prevent a vote on the proposal taking place.






5. American politics is dominated by a small ___________ who is responsible for most of the important policy decisions






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






7. The party-column ballot - or Indiana ballot - encourages _______________.






8. Powers of the national government that flow from its enumerated powers and the 'elastic clause' of the Constitution.






9. The pursuit and exercise of power






10. This called for three-fifths of all slaves in a state were counted for purposes of apportioning representation in the House of Representatives.






11. Executive Check on the Legislative Branch.






12. Number of Senators elected at large per state -






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






14. Year of the 2nd Continental Congress.






15. 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






16. A jury of 6 to 12 persons who determine guilt or innocence in a civil or criminal action






17. Today the South is is a two-party battleground - in which the ______________ often have the upper hand






18. Proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 as an attempt to form a union of the colonies. Later used to help form the Articles of Confederation.






19. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendment to bills or provides that only memebers of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments






20. Government branch established in Article I of the Constitution.






21. Philosopher John Locke - in his 1690 work Civil Government (second treatise) - advised separation of government power between






22. Each Senate committee may have ________ subcommittees.






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






24. A term often used to describe the economic and political ties between the military establishment and the defense-aerospace industry.






25. Cabinet department that includes the Coast Guard - Border Patrol - FEMA - Transportation Security Administration - INS and the Secret Service. Established in 2001 in response to 9/11.






26. A White House council created under the National Security Act of 1947 to advise the president and help coordinate American military and foreign policy.






27. The 19th Century __________ party platform was opposed to the spread of slavery - promoted preservation of the union - supported the abolition of slavery - and promoted post civil was reconstruction.






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






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






30. James Madison proposed to deal with the threat of political factions by ______________________.






31. A test established by Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes - Jr. - in 1919 to define the point at which speech loses the protection of the First Amendment.






32. Assistants to the Majority and Minority Leaders of both the House and Senate.






33. During the period from 1976 to 1824 - This party was lead by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. They wanted a stronger national government that would rectify the pitfalls of the Articles of Confederation. Their supporters held a stronghold in New






34. Presidential management model in which corporate CEO tactics are used employing committees - task forces - and special advisors. Successfully utilized by Clinton and G W Bush.






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






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






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






38. Test whereby the Supreme Court established criteria by which state may provide aid to religious groups.






39. Considered the most sacred right in American history. Colonists felt oppressed by the tyranny of the crown but were unable to speak up about it for fear of repercussion.






40. A philosophy that the Supreme Court should avoid constitutional questions when possible and uphold acts of Congress unless they clearly violate a specific section of the Constitution.






41. The issuance of this document by a judge requires probably cause and must be worded so as to allow for the search and seizure of specific evidence.






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

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43. A public policy that takes something away from one person or group and gives it to another person or group.






44. New Jersey v. TLO (1985) established that school authorities may search students without _____________ as long as they are reasonable.






45. A joint committee of Congress established to help negotiate discrepancies and gain consensus between legislation passed in each house before sending the bill to the President.






46. Federal and State Courts function in a _____________manner so that federal courts may receive appeals from state courts.






47. Head of the Supreme Court.






48. Literally - a 'friend of the court' brief - filed by an individual or organization to present arguements in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case






49. This 1967 Supreme Court case prohibited illegal eavesdropping and extending the zone of privacy to include the home - office - person - and immediate public arena.






50. An economy in which most economic decisions result from the interaction of buyers and sellers in markets - but in which the government plays a significant role in the allocation of resources.