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. 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.






2. 19th century case establishing that the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government - upheld until the 20th century. Ruling allowed stated to engage in activities such as establishing state churches and denying public office to people of ce






3. In Johnson v. Texas (1989) - the Supreme Court ruled that burning the flag in a manner that does not pose a threat to people or property is allowed as this type of freedom of speech.






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. After analyzing 1 -795 platform pledges over a 10-year period - Gerald M. Pomper concluded that almost ____________ of these promises were fulfilled






6. Signed the executive order banning segregation in the armed forces.






7. A series of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton - John Jay - and James Madison under the pseudonym Publius advocating the ratification of the United States Constitution.






8. The Supreme Court's broad interpretation of this clause has denied direct aid from the government for religious groups - but does allow religious groups to make use of government services such as police and fire.






9. Groups named for the section of the Internal Revenue Service code under which they must report their expenditures. The tax-exempt groups were created to exploit a loophole in the law regulating campaign finance.






10. The way things should be by law






11. 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.






12. In a 1943 case - the Supreme Court upheld the right to refuse to salute the American flag on the basis of the constitutional guarantee of _________________.






13. A legislature with only one house.






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






15. Number of years a President must reside in the US prior to taking office






16. Prompted by FDR's 4th election to the Presidency - the 22nd Amendment limited the number of Presidential terms to _____ terms.






17. Baby boomers - women - and voters with higher levels of education tend to have a ____________ voter turnout.






18. Most modern political scientists believe there is ________________ between politics and government.






19. The 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act banned contributions of soft money to______________.






20. 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.






21. 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






22. An offical who is expected to represent the views of his or her constituents even when personally holding different views; one interpretation of the role of the legislator






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






24. A Latin phrase meaning 'stand by past decisions -' a principle that judges often use in deciding cases. Ruling based on precedents.






25. 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






26. Passed in 1883 - it created a federal civil service so that hiring and promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage.






27. The median income of women is ___________ percent of men.






28. The policy established after the Second World War that America must take an active leadership role in world affairs






29. A court decision in an earlier case with facts and legal issues similar to a dispute currently before a court.






30. The way things actually are.






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






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






33. The process by which individuals screen out messages that do not conform to their own biases






34. First African American appointed to the Supreme Court






35. Federal grants in which the recipient has a lot of discretion over how the money is spent. These grants are issued in support of general government functions such as education and law enforcement.






36. While the voting rights act of 1965 did direct the Attorney General to investigate the constitutionality of poll taxes and prohibit literacy tests - it did not expressly prohibit _____________.






37. A relaxation of international tensions.






38. The constitutional requirement (in article II - sec 3) that presidents take care that the laws are faithfully executed - even if they disagree with the purpose of those laws






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






40. Law enacted in 1939 to prohibit civil servants from taking activists roles in partisan campaigns .This act prohibited federal employees from making political contributions - working for a particualr party -or campaining for a particualr canidate






41. An economic philosophy that advocates both tax and budget cuts to increase incentives to produce in order to expand the total supply of the nation's goods and services.






42. A strand of American foreign policy that was visible by the end of the 19th century; it included 'gunboat diplomacy' and other forms of military involvement by the United States in various parts of the world.






43. The term most political scientists prefer to describe the bureaucratic process






44. A technique polling organizations use in which several people from the same neighborhood are interviewed.






45. In presidential campaigns - federal matching funds are provided to candidates who ______________.






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






47. Organization of individuals with similar policy goals who enter the political process to influence legislation that affects the organizations interests






48. A nation's set of fundamental beliefs about how government and politics should be conducted.






49. The amount of money available when the government's income is greater than what it spends in a fiscal year.






50. Powers of government that the national government may exercise simply because it exists as a government - such as the right to conduct foreign relations.