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. Type of interest group represented in Washington by another individual or organization. (Ex. Ford Motor Company pays a lobbyist in Washington to represent them.)






2. The permanent committees of a legislature that consider bills and conduct hearings and investigations.






3. A broad concept that may be defined in many ways - but the term is generally used to refer to the basic protection and defense of the nation.






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






5. Department established in 1988 by President G.H. Bush.

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6. A provision of law in which Congress asserts the power to nullify actions of the executive branch. In 1983 the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional - but Congress continued to pass laws containing such provisions.






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






8. A close contest; by extension - any contest in which the focus is on who is ahead and how much rather than on substantive differences between the candidates.






9. A philosophy that the Supreme Court should avoid constitutional questions when possible and uphold acts of Congress unless they clearly violate a specific section of the Constitution.






10. Legislative house whose members were intended to represent the people.






11. This Supreme Court case infamously decided that a slave was not a citizen but property to be 'used in subservience to the interests - the convenience - or the will of his owner'






12. Federal laws limit the amount of ___________ that can be donated directly to campaign coffers.






13. Most house committees are limited to _____ subcommittees.






14. A federal tax on imports.






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






16. Proponents of limited government - unregulated free markets - national self-reliance - and conventional social values are best describes as






17. Age Requirement for House of Representatives.






18. Plan that proposed unicameral legislature with each state having one vote.






19. 1974 Act mandating that all government files about private citizens be kept confidential.






20. Provisions tacked on to a piece of legislation that are not relevant to the bill.






21. Most modern political scientists believe there is ________________ between politics and government.






22. Number of Senators elected at large per state -






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






24. Laws that were designed to segregate black and white Americans and give legal recognition to discrimination.






25. Loose - competitive relationships among policy experts - interest groups - congressional committees - and federal agencies. Many observers argue that these have replaced iron triangles.






26. Laws must be reasonable. The Supreme Court has abandoned this concept in regards to business matters citing that it is the responsibility of Congress to regulate economic matters. The court has continued to apply this to matters of civil liberties an






27. 1798 Act that criminalized speech that was derisive to the government. Later ruled unconstitutional - Andrew Jackson issued blanket pardon in 1801






28. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) - founded in 1932 by President Herbert Hoover to help combat the Great Depression - was the predecessor of which federal agencies?






29. Most likely to board a foreign ship suspected of drug trafficking at a U.S. port






30. 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






31. Groups named for the section of the Internal Revenue Service code under which they must report their expenditures. The tax-exempt groups were created to exploit a loophole in the law regulating campaign finance.






32. The belief that one can understand politics and therefore participate in politics






33. In 1998 - the Supreme Court struck down the________________ law - declaring it unconstitutional - because Congress did not have the constitutional authority to hand that power to the President.






34. The Supreme Court has ruled that Congress_________________ take away a person's citizenship unless it is freely renounced.






35. A jury of 6 to 12 persons who determine guilt or innocence in a civil or criminal action






36. Lawsuit brought by an individual or group of people on behalf of all those similarly situated






37. 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






38. The introductory statement of the U.S. Constitution - setting forth the general principles of American government and beginning with the words - 'We the people of the United States - in order to form a more perfect union. ...'






39. 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.






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






41. The provisions of the Constitution that divide power among three constitutionally equal and independent branches of government






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






43. The action - or actions - taken by government to carry out a policy.






44. Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents.






45. An election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for a subsequent election. In other words - one means by which a political party nominate candidates for the following general election.s






46. The amount of money available when the government's income is greater than what it spends in a fiscal year.






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






48. Court cases that concern crimes committed against the public order.






49. Political commercials that strongly attack a rival candidate.






50. Executive Check on the Legislative Branch.