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. Responsible for further investigation - hearings - and amendment to a bill






2. The right to privacy is ___________ in the Constitution.






3. He United States Constitution was opposed by which group?






4. A course of action decided upon by a government






5. The 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act - the 1965 Highway Beautification Act and the 1964 Civil Rights Act are all examples of ____________________.






6. Amendment that delegated the election of Senators to popular vote.






7. The right of the Supreme Court - under the Constitution - to hear certain kinds of cases directly - such as cases involving foreign diplomats - or cases in which one of the 50 states is a party.






8. Executive Check on the Legislative Branch.






9. 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.






10. This author of Leviathon posited that government is necessary because people are generally in a state of conflict.






11. Article VII of the Constitution outlines the process of ____________________.






12. A federal law passed by Congress in 1939 to restrict political activities by federal workers. The law prevents federal employees while on duty from taking an active part in party politics or campaigns and also bars federal employees from running for






13. The period of time after the election of FDR until the Vietnam War was dominated by the Democratic Party and know as the __________________ Era.






14. 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






15. This act prohibited Discrimination because of race - color - sex - religion - or national origin by employers or labor unions; The adoption by voting registrars of different standards for black and white applicants; and Racial or religious discrimina






16. 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






17. 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.






18. A system in which national and state government have shared or overlapping powers. FDR's New Deal legislation established this system in the US.






19. ____________________ define Congressional voting districts acting within constraints set down by Congress and the Supreme Court.






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






21. States that arrestees must be informed of their right to remain silent - that anything they say can be held against them in a court - that they have a right to an attorney and that an attorney will be appointed to them if they cannot afford one.






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






23. A group of high-level administrators and managers at the top of the government bureaucracy. SES members have less job tenure but are eligible for substantial cash bonuses for merit.






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






25. A primary in which any registered voter is able to vote for candidates from more than one party. A voter - for example - may vote for a Democrat for U.S. senator and for a Republican for governor. In 2000 - the Supreme Court struck down the blanket p






26. Gave authority over atomic energy from military to civilians.






27. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was somewhat undermined by racist practices in the real estate market such as _____________ and ______________ - which continued illegally in many areas following passage of the Act.






28. Overall spending targets set by the Congress.






29. These voters are registered as a party member but only participate by voting in primary and general elections. Tend to vote straight-party ticket and follow the leads of local party officials.






30. This was amended in 1985 to prohibit vote dilution without requiring the proof of discriminatory purpose demanded by the original Act.






31. In an election with more than 2 options - the number of votes for the candidate or party receiving the greatest number - but less that half of the votes.






32. Prohibits conviction of a crime that occurred before the act became illegal






33. Laws must be administered in a fair manner.






34. When neither political party is dominant.






35. 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.






36. Voters tendency to identify with a party that shares their views on important issues ignoring the party's stance on issues they deem less important. to be life-long unless there is a major change in the party's platform. 2. Influenced by ra






37. Article II of the Constitution establishes the ______________ branch.






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






39. The spread of nuclear weapons to new nations






40. Year of the 2nd Continental Congress.






41. Constitutional protection of the accused to not be tried for the same crime twice.






42. The view advocated by Supreme Court Justices Hugo Black and William O. Douglas that there are provisions of the Bill of Rights that cannot be diluted by judicial decisions.






43. A term coined by President Lyndon B. Johnson to describe his own view of the relationship between Washington and the states.






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






45. Assistants to the Majority and Minority Leaders of both the House and Senate.






46. 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






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






48. In the 1925 Gitlow case - the Supreme Court began a process of ______________ of the Bill of Rights to the states.






49. The 5th amendment protect against _____________.






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