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 legislature with only one house.






2. A legislator who automatically mirrors the will of the majority of his or her constituents.






3. Dissenting Democrats focused on foreign affairs. Aligned with the US Communist Party.


4. First civil rights organization to use non-violent tactics to promote racial equality and desegregation






5. A place of work in which only union members may be hired.






6. Funds spent for or against a candidate by committees not formally connected to the candidate's campaign and without coordination with the campaign.






7. 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.






8. A group of people - chosen by poll-takers - that is representative of the universe that is being polled.






9. The principle that the government - as provided in the Fifth Amendment - can take property for 'public use' with 'just compensation' to the owners.






10. A controversial law overwhelmingly passed by Congress in October 2001 - after the terrorist attacks of September 11 on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It greatly expanded the power of federal law enforcement authorities to move against suspe






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






12. An economic system in which the factors of production are owned by the publicand operate for the welfare of all.






13. In which case did the Supreme Court rule that the concept of privacy included the right to a legal abortion?






14. An act of legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a trial. Constitutionally prohibited.






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






16. This 1963 case extended the right to counsel to all felony cases.






17. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments provide for _____________.






18. This influential English document refuted divine right of monarchy and made monarchs subject to laws and responsible for crimes






19. 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






20. The Democrats control over politics during the 20th century ended with this President's unpopular handling of the Vietnam War.






21. 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.






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






23. Powers of government exercised independently by both the federal and state governments - such as the power to tax.






24. The single biggest item in campaign spending at the presidential level is ___________________.






25. According to the Constitution - the electors in the Electoral College shall be appointed in a manner to be determined by the






26. The ruling in this case provided that the government must prove a threat to national security in order to impose prior restraint.






27. First Executive Branch






28. Courts of original jurisdiction in federal crimes - civil suits under federal law - civil suits between citizens of different states where the amount in question exceeds $50 -000 - bankruptcy proceedings - cases involving some federal administrative






29. This 1973 ruling gave local communities the authority to determine obscenity - established three part test for obscene material. To qualify as obscene - speech must be considered obscene by the 'average' person - depict or describe material that is a






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






31. Procedure typically requiring 3/5 vote of the entire Senate to end a filibuster.






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






33. Judicial Check on Legislative Branch. Not specifically outlined in the Constitution - but established in the case of Marbury v. Madison through the application of the Supremacy Clause in Article VI.






34. Popular until the early 20th century when they lost favor to primaries due to corruption - now used in only 12 states.






35. This group of voters historically supported Republicans - a party founded on an anti-slavery platform. During the 1930's they began supporting the New Deal policies of the Democratic party.






36. The claim by presidents of an inherent right to withhold information from Congress and the judiciary.






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






38. The European political philosophers whose writings influenced the concepts of liberty and government contained in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution belonged to the intellectual and cultural movement known as






39. The belief that all people possess certain basic rights that may not be abridged by government.






40. This House committee is responsible for all taxes - tariffs - and other revenue raising measures in addition to social security - child support - Medicare - foster care - and unemployment.






41. 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.






42. A written opinion by some of the judges of a court which agrees with the majority of the court but might arrive there in a different manner.






43. Article I - Section 8 - of the Constitution - which allows Congress to make all laws that are 'necessary and proper' to carry out the powers of the Constitution.






44. A meeting of party leaders to select candidates - elect convention delegates - etc






45. The primary purpose of _______________consolidate the nation's disability laws and provide for strong federal enforcement of a strengthened disability rights mandate






46. Repealed by the 21st Amendment - this Amendment prohibited alcohol.






47. A course of action chosen by government officials






48. Cabinet positions must be ____________ by the Senate






49. Number of justices of the Supreme Court.






50. This contraversial legal technicality intended to protect civil liberties has allowed criminals to remain free when the courts refuse to admit evidence that may have been obtained illegally.