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 Constitution requires that state governments - like the federal government - must be _____________ in form - with final authority resting with the people.






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






3. Held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November.






4. Formerly known as the Anti-Federalist - this party lead by Thomas Jefferson advocated states rights pressing the causes of the common people and agrarian interest. Dominated the political arena until the Civil War.






5. State legislation designed to outlaw the union shop - passed by 21 states acting under Section 14B of the federal Taft-Hartley Act.






6. Court cases that involve relations between individuals and organizations - such as a divorce action - or a suit for damages arising from an automobile accident or for violation of a business contract.






7. In the view of W. Lance Bennett - the people who hold and express opinions are constantly changing - as are the issues and conditions to which the public responds. As a result - Bennett suggests that public opinion is______________.






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






9. Programs mandated by law and not subject to annual review by Congress or the president.






10. Proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 as an attempt to form a union of the colonies. Later used to help form the Articles of Confederation.






11. 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.






12. Concept of the British statesman Edmund Burke that legislators should act according to their own consciences.






13. Powerful standing committee that puts bills on the legislative calendar and establishes the processes by which the bill will be discussed on the floor.






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






15. In Woodson v. North Carolina - the Supreme Court struck down mandatory sentencing of capital punishment as ______________________ because it does not allow for any discretion.






16. Clause in the 14th Amendment that forbids any state to deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. The 5th Amendment also imposes this limitation on the national government.






17. Elections that reflect the basic party identification of the voters.






18. 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






19. 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






20. Raise Public Awareness - Create Policy Agenda - Prioritize Agenda - Enact Policy - Public Evaluation






21. The Supremacy Clause appears in ________________ of the Constitution.






22. While the verbiage of the 4th Amendment is vague as to what constitutes 'reasonable'. Police departments must rely on _____________; they cannot act on unfounded suspicion.






23. Congress' first step towards allocating funds






24. Established by President Hoover - It is the _______________ job to keep the press informed and orchestrate press conferences






25. In Congress - _____________ are informal organizations of individual congressional representatives with like interests or constituencies. Members work together to promote the interests of the groups they represent through legislation - policy - and p






26. 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.






27. 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






28. These courts only hear appeals on cases from lower courts.






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






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






31. Units of government under the president - within the executive branch - that are not part of a cabinet department.






32. The class of independent voters who do not vote according to party affiliation - but who typically have a broader range of concerns than single-issue voters - are known colloquially as






33. In 1987 - the FCC abandoned the fairness doctrine on the grounds that it unconstitutionally restricted the ______________ rights of broadcasters.






34. The head of a national political party






35. The drawing of the lines of congressional districts - or of any other political district - in order to favor one political party or group over another.






36. Inherent powers of state governments to pass laws to protect health - safety - and welfare; the national government has no directly granted police powers but accomplishes the same goals through other delegated powers.






37. This amendment applied the Bill of Rights to states.






38. The response of the rest of society to actions by the authorities.






39. Cabinet department responsible for regulating and promoting trade and maintaining the census Established in 1913..






40. 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.






41. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is an example of an






42. This controversial clause of the 9th Amendment has allowed government to expand rights to suit its needs.






43. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 required states in the covered jurisdiction to attain _________________ from the Attorney General before making changes to voting standards - practice - or procedure






44. 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






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






46. In Tinker v. Des Moines School District (1969) - the Supreme Court established precedents for ___________________ in schools and government institutions.






47. The separation of people by race.






48. Government employees who publicly expose evidence of official waste or corruption that they have learned about in the course of their duties.






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






50. The most important committees - always assembled and delegated with the responsibility of handling all bills under their concern. Includes the Ways and Means - Appropriations - Budget - Rules and Agriculture Committees.







Sorry!:) No result found.

Can you answer 50 questions in 15 minutes?


Let me suggest you:

Browse all subjects

Browse all tests

Most popular tests



Major Subjects

Tests & Exams


AP
CLEP
DSST
GRE
SAT
GMAT

Browse all subjects

Browse all tests

Most popular tests