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. 1966 Act allowing citizens to inspect all government records with the exception of classified military or intelligence documents - trade secrets or private personnel files.






2. The body composed of electors from the 50 states who formally have the power to elect the president and vice president of the United States. Each state has a number of electors and electoral votes equal to its number of senators and representatives i






3. 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






4. Beginning with the election of Abraham Lincoln - the period between 1860 and the Great Depression was dominated by this political party.






5. An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on a sharply limited government - promoting a free market economy - a non-interventionist foreign policy - and an absence of regulation in the moral and social spheres.






6. Voters in a political district - or supporters of an elected official; or interest groups or client groups that are either directly regulated by the bureaucracy or vitally affected by its decisions.






7. Although camera are allowed in most trial courts - they are banned from ______________.






8. Plan that proposed bicameral legislature where states were to have representation based on size in both houses.






9. Defamation by written or printed words - pictures - or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures.






10. Which branch has the power to stop an executive order?






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






12. In 1872 - Susan B Anthony was arrested in Rochester - New York for






13. 1940 Act Prohibiting any person from advocating overthrowing the government through violence or force.






14. In the mid-term elections following a President's inauguration - his party tends to ___________ seats in Congress.






15. Petition that - if signed by a majority of the members of the House of Representatives - will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration






16. Guarantees that an accused in innocent until proven guilty.






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






18. Since 1960 - there has been a general trend of ______________ participation in elections.






19. The President's role in the armed forces which during the 20th century has allowed Presidents to circumvent Congress' refusal to declare war.






20. Federal categorical grants in which the granting agency has less discretion over how the recipient spends the money.






21. Powers specifically outlined in the Constitution as assigned to one branch of government.






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






23. Most likely to board a foreign ship suspected of drug trafficking at a U.S. port






24. Laws - rules - and government programs designed to protect individual rights and specific groups - as well as to benefit society as a whole in such areas as health - worker safety - consumer protection - and the environment.






25. Federal categorical grants in which the granting agency has much discretion over how the recipient spends the money.






26. Urban or rural areas in which businesses are encouraged to locate because of tax breaks and other incentives.






27. A form of city government under which a council - usually elected on a nonpartisan ticket - hires a professional city manager - who runs the city government and has power to hire and fire officials.






28. 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.






29. This 1957 judgement prohibited pornography material as utterly without redeeming social significance - later reversed in Miller v. California






30. Information sent out in order to observe the reaction of an audience. Used by politicians who deliberately leak information on a policy change under consideration.






31. Today the Senate operates with ____ standing and select committees. These select committees - however - are permanent in nature and are treated as standing committees under Senate rules.






32. An opinion of one or more judges expressing disagreement with the majority opinion of the court which gives rise to its judgment.






33. In 1998 - the Supreme Court struck down the________________ law - declaring it unconstitutional - because Congress did not have the constitutional authority to hand that power to the President.






34. The 1803 case in which the Supreme Court - by declaring a portion of an act of Congress unconstitutional - first firmly set forth and established the power of judicial review.






35. The estimated number of illegal aliens living in the US.






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






37. Constitutional Article that establishes the Judicial Branch.






38. Walter DeVries and Lance Tarrance have concluded that in many elections the outcome is determined by ______________.






39. Constitutionally required address by the President typically given in a joint session of Congress.






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






41. The number of ______________ a state receives is based on the number Representatives and Senators that the state has in Congress






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






43. At one time - the press generally refrained from publishing personal information that would be damaging. FDR - Eisenhower - and JFK all benefited from this reluctance to engage in _____________________. However - the American publics appetite for sen






44. The Equal Rights Amendment was defeated in 1982 because ____________________________.






45. Clause of the Constitution (Article 1 - Section 10) intended to prohibit state governments from modifying contracts made between individuals; interpreted as prohibiting state governments from taking actions that adversely affect property rights.






46. What occurs when government adopts a public policy that provides - or distributes - benefits to people or groups.






47. Washington v. Chrisman (1982) established the _________________ - allowing police officers to seize evidence without a warrant if the evidence is in obvious sight.






48. Which form of registration prevails in all but a few states?






49. Presidential refusal to allow an agency to spend funds that Congress authorized and appropriated.






50. This house committee is responsible for Supervising the authority of the federal government to borrow money - Raising the revenue required to finance the federal government by levying taxes - Overseeing Social Security and other social insurance prog