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. Control of a market by a single company.






2. This rule established by US v. Leon (1984) angered civil liberties groups by allowing exception to the Exclusionary Rule in instances where probably cause may not fully exist.






3. The practice that allows senators to delay or even kill floor action on legislation - a nomination - or other matters by asking their party leaders not to schedule them.






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






5. Agenda that includes issues that affect the daily lives of the people.






6. In 1943 - The Supreme Court upheld the Jehovah's Witnesses right to refrain from saluting the American flag based on their right to _____________.






7. A federal program established in 1965 to provide hospital and medical services to older people through the Social Security system.






8. 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






9. 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






10. 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






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






12. This author was highly influential on Thomas Jefferson - rejecting divine right - proposing that government is a social contract requiring the consent of the govern and establishing the concept of self-evident rights of life - liberty - and property.






13. A public assistance program established in 1965 to help pay hospital - doctor - and medical bills for people with low incomes.






14. 1940 Act Prohibiting any person from advocating overthrowing the government through violence or force.






15. ______________________is responsible for the management of the federal debt and the printing of currency. It is the major fiscal policy agency.






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






17. Term limit for House of Representatives.






18. The relationship between the total cost of foreign goods imported to this country and sales of U.S. products overseas.






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






20. In _______________ cases such as Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) - the Supreme Court has upheld that while Affirmative action policies are legal - race and gender cannot be the only determining factors.






21. In his classic study of community power in New Haven - Connecticut - political scientist Robert A. Dahl concluded that the city was a __________ system dominated by many different sets of leaders






22. A method of amending state constitutions under which proposed constitutional amendments can be placed on the ballot if enough signatures are obtained on a petition. Almost half the states also employ the initiative on the ballot to allow voters to en






23. A provision of the Federal Communications Act that requires broadcasters to provide the same amount of exposure to all legally qualified political candidates.






24. Members of this party typically include Conservative Christian groups - higher socio-economic classes - middle-class white collar - and suburban voters.






25. These party members are highly involved in the electoral process. Donate funds to party and candidates - demand a voice in state party agendas and tend to have a strong belief in their party's ideology.






26. 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.






27. A White House council created under the National Security Act of 1947 to advise the president and help coordinate American military and foreign policy.






28. The demands of and supports for a political system






29. The belief that all people possess certain basic rights that may not be abridged by government.






30. A powerful alliance of mutual benefit among an agency or unit of the government - an interest group - and a committee or subcommittee of Congress. Also called a triangle or iron triangle.






31. Electoral college system and other campaign practices make it exceedingly difficult for even popular ______________ candidates to successfully run for the presidency.






32. Guarantees the right to a civil trial by jury.






33. 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.






34. A federal tax on imports.






35. Today the South is is a two-party battleground - in which the ______________ often have the upper hand






36. The agency that provides Congress with evaluations of public policies is the






37. Literally meaning 'right of soil' - confers citizenship by place of birth.






38. Constitutionally empowered to appoint judges - ambassadors - and other high officials - Constitutionally empowered to make treaties with foreign countries.






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






40. The oldest House committee still in existence.






41. A term often used to describe the economic and political ties between the military establishment and the defense-aerospace industry.






42. The 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act banned contributions of soft money to______________.






43. Disapproval of a bill by a chief executive - such as the president or a governor.






44. Which historical figure described democracy as 'the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time?'






45. A form of city government under which a board of city commissioners is popularly elected (often on a nonpartisan ballot). The commissioners make policy as a city council - but they also run city departments as administrators.






46. A device that allows the House of Representatives to conduct its business with fewer restrictions on debate and a quorum of only 100 members.






47. The concept that all people are of equal worth - even if not of equal ability.






48. First African American appointed to the Supreme Court






49. 14th Amendment is often used to support the right to ____________.






50. A legislature with only one house.