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. This customary power allows the President to grant reprieves and pardons for federal offenses.






2. The gap between the government's income and outlays.






3. These party members take active non-leadership roles such as working polls or contributing money to campaigns. Tend to compromise on important issues and are mostly concerned about winning elections.






4. Age requirement for President






5. Lead by Daniel Webster and Henry Clay. Dedicated to defending federal authority and high tariffs. Gained supports of merchants - bankers - industrialists and planters.






6. These parties often emerge as off-shoots of major parties or as single-issue parties. They typically act as critic/innovator bringing attention to issues and influencing the platforms of the major parties.






7. This branch of government checks Bureaucracy through its control over lawsuits filed against the agency.






8. A strand of American foreign policy that was visible by the end of the 19th century; it included 'gunboat diplomacy' and other forms of military involvement by the United States in various parts of the world.






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






10. Finding that enough evidence exists to warrant a criminal trial.






11. This 1st amendment clause prohibits the government from making any law prohibiting the exercise of any religion






12. Prompted by the ____________________ - the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.






13. 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.






14. Number of years a President must reside in the US prior to taking office






15. A centralized system of government - such as that of France - where most of the important policy decisions are made by a central government.






16. The vote cast by a person who does not like either candidate and so votes for the less objectionable of the two - putting a clothespin over his nose to keep out the unpleasant stench






17. A 1972 treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union limiting the number of defensive missiles each country could build. In 2001 President George W. Bush withdrew the United States from the treaty.






18. This branch of government checks Bureaucracy through its control over budget and appointments of leadership.






19. _____________ was the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in controlling New York City politics and helping immigrants (most notably the Irish) rise up in American politics from the 1790s to the 1960s.






20. Passed in 1883 - it created a federal civil service so that hiring and promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage.






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






22. The net balance or relationship between total income and total expenditures by the nation in its dealings with the rest of the world - including trade - loans - and investments.






23. Legislative opinions on a matter that do not require Presidential signature.






24. It the job of _________ committees of a political party to hold voter registration drives - recruit new party members and final candidates for city and county positions.






25. The state officer typically responsible for overseeing federal elections at the state level is the






26. Laws must be administered in a fair manner.






27. Serious crimes - such as murder - arson - or rape.






28. The right to renounce one's citizenship.






29. 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.






30. 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






31. James Madison proposed to deal with the threat of political factions by ______________________.






32. Bills passed by Congress to pay for the spending it has authorized.






33. Theory that a government requires the consent of the governed.






34. Powers specifically given to the federal government by the US Constitution - for example - the authority to print money.






35. Germany - Switzerland - and India are examples of countries with a _______________ system of government.






36. Powers of government that are specifically granted to the three branches of the federal government under the Constitution.






37. An act of legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a trial. Constitutionally prohibited.






38. The 1892 platform of the Populist party repudiating laissez-faire and demanding economic and political reform






39. The concentration of economic power in the hands of a relatively few large companies.






40. 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.






41. This article of the Constitution establishes the Executive Branch.






42. According to one survey - what percentage of Americans belongs to groups that sometimes take a stand on public issues






43. Age Requirement for House of Representatives.






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






45. Presidential management model in which the Chief of Staff plays a prominent role as the head of a military style chain of command. Used successfully by Reagan and Eisenhower.






46. High School Dropouts - Blacks - Hispanics - Recent immigrants - and People under 25 or over 75 tend to have a _________ voter turnout.






47. Age Requirement for the Senate






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






49. The Supreme Court holds _____________ jurisdiction in cases against the US - ambassadors - public ministers - and consuls.






50. The chair and the heads of the three armed services - and - when Marine Corps matters are under consideration - the commandant of the marines. By law - they advise the president and the secretary of defense and are the chiefs of their respective mili