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






2. _______________ indicates a citizens' faith and trust in government and their own belief that they can understand and influence political affairs






3. The Immigration Act of 1965 abolished the practice of _______________ allowing more diversity among immigrants.






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






5. Agencies that were at one time semi-autonomous but that through legislation have been placed under presidential control since 1945.






6. The spread of nuclear weapons to new nations






7. Cabinet department responsible for managing school lunch programs and food safety. Established in 1862.






8. Private groups that attempt to influence the government to respond to the shared attitudes of their members.






9. A group of writers - journalists - and critics who exposed corporate malfeasance and political corruption in the first decade of the 20th century.






10. Also known as the Massachusetts ballot - groups candidates according to the office for which they are running






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






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






13. International agreements between the president and foreign heads of state that - unlike treaties - do not require Senate approval.






14. A system of voter registration in which voters must register every year or at other stated intervals.






15. 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.






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






17. A study of Bennington College students in the 1930s illustrated that the influence of the family on political attitudes tends to ______________ as they grow older and come into contact with other groups.






18. 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






19. Belief in the value of strong government to provide economic secruity and protection for civil rights - combined with a belief in personal freedom from government intervention in social conduct






20. A relaxation of international tensions.






21. 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 _________________.






22. Each Senate committee may have ________ subcommittees.






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






24. The total amount of money that the United States owes to its creditors.






25. The case of Gregg v. Georgia set the precedent for a ________________ system in which guilt and sentencing and tried separately.






26. Article I of the Constitution establishes the ___________________ branch.






27. First Roman Catholic elected President.






28. The president - the vice president - the heads of the major executive departments of the government - and certain other senior officials who may hold 'cabinet rank.'






29. Most Americans support ______________ primarily as part of their criticism of PACs






30. Because there is no Senate Rules Committee - Senators can debate a bill for an _________________ time.






31. Between 1909 and 2002 - the number of daily newspapers in the United States______________.






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






33. Makes sure that funds are used safely and wisely. They oversee the state's financial records






34. Congress' first step towards allocating funds






35. 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.






36. Grants that an accused may not be held in custody without charge - literally 'You shall have the body'.






37. 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.






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






39. Individual contributions to PACs are limited to ______________ dollars per candidate per election with primaries - general and special elections counting separately.






40. 1974 Act mandating that all government files about private citizens be kept confidential.






41. First African American appointed to the Supreme Court






42. 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






43. ______________ refers to the differences in political attitudes and voting behavior between men and women






44. An interest group organization that represents a specific group of people (Ex. NAACP - AARP)






45. A word that comes from two Greek roots - demos - 'the populace -' and kratia - 'rule'






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






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






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






49. Age Requirement for the Senate






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