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. After a bill has passed both the House and Senate - it goes to _________________ where any differences between the house bill and the senate bill are resolved before sending to the President for signature






2. These voters are registered as a party member but only participate by voting in primary and general elections. Tend to vote straight-party ticket and follow the leads of local party officials.






3. Prohibits the use of cruel or unusual punishment.






4. 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.






5. 1944 case established that as as long as a person accepted their beliefs in good faith that it is not the government's authority to determine whether those beliefs are valid.






6. A course of action decided upon by a government






7. First governing document of the Plymouth Colony establishing freedom of religion.






8. An issue on which voters distinguish rival parties by the degree to which they associate each party or candidate with conditions - goals - or symbols the electorate universally approves or disapproves of. Examples of such issues are economic prosperi






9. 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






10. A system of voter registration in which voters must register only once in their district.






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






12. States that arrestees must be informed of their right to remain silent - that anything they say can be held against them in a court - that they have a right to an attorney and that an attorney will be appointed to them if they cannot afford one.






13. Members of this party typically include women who support liberal policies on abortion and equal pay - Jews - Catholics - Blacks and other minorities - Blue-collar working class - urban - labor unions - and intelligensia






14. During the 1800's and early 1900's - some state and local party committees became ________________ dominating party activities. Committee members would promise new recruits money - jobs - and other benefits for joining and voting the straight party t






15. If 10 days remain in session and the president does not sign an act of Congress - the law is ___________.






16. 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.






17. Colonies in which freely elected legislatures chose the governor and the king could not veto laws.






18. 1798 Act that criminalized speech that was derisive to the government. Later ruled unconstitutional - Andrew Jackson issued blanket pardon in 1801






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






20. Law enacted by Congress - or by state legislatures or local legislative bodies.






21. The coming to power of a new coalition - replacing an old dominant coalition of the other party






22. 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.






23. It the job of _________ committees of a political party to hold voter registration drives - recruit new party members and final candidates for city and county positions.






24. Prohibits conviction of a crime that occurred before the act became illegal






25. Term limit for House of Representatives.






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






27. A method of amending state constitutions under which proposed constitutional amendments can be placed on the ballot if enough signatures are obtained on a petition. Almost half the states also employ the initiative on the ballot to allow voters to en






28. Direct oral or written speech directed at a specific individual or group






29. Prompted by the ____________________ - the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.






30. According to this nineteenth-century British peer and historian - 'power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'






31. Age requirement for President






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






33. This 1932 case established that a case can be too speedy and under-counseled - providing defendants in a capital case the right to a reasonable amount of time to establish a defense.






34. The right to renounce one's citizenship.






35. Includes expressive conduct/assembly/actions and symbolic behavior (ex. Picketing or burning the flag) Based on our country history of symbolic acts such as the Boston Tea Party - courts almost always uphold symbolic acts of speech unless they are cr






36. Included are Ways and Means - Veteran's Affairs - Transportation and Infrastructure - Standards of Official Conduct - Small Business - Science - Judiciary - Rules - Resources - Oversight of Government Reform - House Administration - Homeland Security






37. The issue of slavery split the Democratic Party into what two factions?






38. 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






39. A world economy characterized by the free movement of goods - capital - labor - and information across national borders.






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






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






42. Responsible for further investigation - hearings - and amendment to a bill






43. The 1st Amendment states that government cannot issue ______________ - censoring publications before they are published.






44. 1976 Law requiring all governmental agency meetings to be open to the public unless classified information will be discussed.






45. A system in which the national government provides grants-in-aid to states using conditions to elicit control.






46. A legal principle of fair dealing - which may provide preventive measures and legal remedies that are unavailable under existing common law and statutory law.






47. 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.






48. The binding decisions that the government makes whether in the form of laws -regulations - or judicial decisions






49. The pursuit and exercise of power






50. Committees created by Congress to conduct special investigations. Although normally temporary - some become - in effect - permanent.