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. Which committee assignments would confer the most power and influence on members of the Senate?






2. Communication with legislators or other government officials to try to influence their decisions.






3. 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.






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






5. Age Requirement for House of Representatives.






6. 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






7. The name commonly given to a private group - regardless of size - organized to elect political candidates. An organization becomes one by receiving contributions or making expenditures in excess of $1 -000 for the purpose of influencing a federal ele






8. 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.






9. 1946 Act requiring bureaucratic agencies to appeal to the affected parties before adopting new policies. Legislative check on Bureaucracy.






10. Tax legislation must originate in this house.






11. Which powers of the national government flow from its enumerated powers and from the 'elastic clause' of the Constitution?






12. According to one survey - what percentage of Americans belongs to groups that sometimes take a stand on public issues






13. 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.






14. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill.






15. The elected position of President pro tempore of the Senate is almost always held by






16. A political group organized under section 527 of the IRS code that may accept and spend unlimited amounts of money on election activities so long as they are not spent on broadcast ads run in the last 30 days before a primary or 60 days before a gene






17. Approximately 33% of American voters identify themselves as _______________ party.






18. 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






19. A system in which the power to govern is shared between national and state governments






20. When the President's own party gains power and influence - it more puts pressure on the President to conform to the will of the party - leading to________________ between the President and the party to define their public identities






21. A legislative leader of each party who is responsible for rounding up party members for important votes.






22. 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.






23. The proceeding before a judge in which the formal charges of an indictment or information are read to an accused person - who may plead guilty or not guilty.






24. This branch of government checks Bureaucracy through its control over the creation and elimination of agencies as well as its control over budget appropriations.






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






26. A government that undertakes responsibility for the welfare of its citizens through programs in public health and public housing and pensions and unemployment compensation etc.






27. The ______________________ were formed to unite the colonists against Britain.






28. The state officer typically responsible for overseeing federal elections at the state level is the






29. Committees of Congress composed of both representatives and senators.






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






31. 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






32. Responsible for assigning bills to committee in the Senate.






33. This 1964 case established strict standards for proving slander and libel - court must prove intent of malice on the part of the publisher.






34. Something given in exchange for something else; swap






35. A procedure that in certain circumstances permits voters to remove elected state or local officials from office before their terms have expired.






36. Lobbyists for special interest groups have found ____________________ to be the most direct and effective method to secure their objectives in Congress.






37. Number of Electoral College votes required to win the Presidency.






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






39. Assigns bills to the appropriate House committee.






40. The absent colony at the 2nd Continental Congress.






41. Southern whites prevented blacks from ____________ through use of poll taxes - literacy tests and intimidation tactics after the Civil War.






42. Contacts - coalitions - and interactions across national boundaries






43. 1976 Law requiring all governmental agency meetings to be open to the public unless classified information will be discussed.






44. In California v. Avecedo (1991) - The Supreme Court established that authorities may search ____________________ without a warrant providing reasonable suspicion.






45. The doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group






46. According to the Speedy Trial Act of 1974 - federal trials must commence within _______ days of arrest with the exception of delay for mental health testing of the defendant and illness of the defendant or key witness.






47. 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.






48. A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals and present them to a candidate or political party as a 'bundle -' thus increasing the PAC's influence.






49. A writ designed to protect against illegal imprisonment by requiring that a person who is detained be brought before a judge for investigation.






50. Presidential management model in which the Chief of Staff plays a prominent role as the head of a military style chain of command. Used successfully by Reagan and Eisenhower.