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. Which branch has the power to stop an executive order?






2. Constitutionally required address by the President typically given in a joint session of Congress.






3. Legislature bills that affect all citizens.






4. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments provide for _____________.






5. ______________ refers to the differences in political attitudes and voting behavior between men and women






6. This contraversial legal technicality intended to protect civil liberties has allowed criminals to remain free when the courts refuse to admit evidence that may have been obtained illegally.






7. 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






8. The fundamental flaw in plural theory contends that pluralism weakens the backbone of democracy with too many common interest groups attempt to wield power - often leading to standstill because of unwillingness to compromise.






9. Laws - rules - and government programs designed to protect individual rights and specific groups - as well as to benefit society as a whole in such areas as health - worker safety - consumer protection - and the environment.






10. A relaxation of international tensions.






11. Walter DeVries and Lance Tarrance have concluded that in many elections the outcome is determined by ______________.






12. In order to win support for ratification of the Constitution - the Federalists had to promise that the first order of business under a new government would be to _______________.






13. An immigrant who wished to become a citizen may be naturalized after living in the US for ___ years.






14. The 1896 case of Plessy v. Fergusan established the racial segregation policy of __________________.






15. The Democrats control over politics during the 20th century ended with this President's unpopular handling of the Vietnam War.






16. A system of _______________ - as in Italy - encourages the existence of many parties by allotting seats to competing candidates according to the percentage of votes they win.






17. Clause of the Constitution (Article 1 - Section 10) intended to prohibit state governments from modifying contracts made between individuals; interpreted as prohibiting state governments from taking actions that adversely affect property rights.






18. Repealed by the 21st Amendment - this Amendment prohibited alcohol.






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






20. The process through which an individual acquires a set of political attitudes and forms opinions about political and social issues.






21. Federal categorical grants in which the granting agency has much discretion over how the recipient spends the money.






22. These voters tend to have a high voter turnout because of their strong since of civic duty due to growing up during an era of political and civil unrest.






23. The way things should be by law






24. Federal grants in which the recipient has little discretion over how the money is spent. The national government sets narrowly defined rules for use of funds and often requires the states or local governments to provide matching funds. These grants a






25. An issue on which voters distinguish rival parties by the degree to which they associate each party or candidate with conditions - goals - or symbols the electorate universally approves or disapproves of. Examples of such issues are economic prosperi






26. Government regulation of the economy through its control over the supply of money and the cost and availability of credit. Controlled by the Federal Reserve Board.






27. 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.






28. 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.






29. The policy established after the Second World War that America must take an active leadership role in world affairs






30. In the last 30 years - voter turnout among American 18- to 24-year-olds has been






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






32. _____________ 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.






33. 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






34. 1944 case established that as as long as a person accepted their beliefs in good faith that it is not the government's authority to determine whether those beliefs are valid.






35. Until the law was changed in 2002 - the term described unregulated campaign funds not subject to the limits of federal law because they went to party committees and not directly to candidates. The 2002 law banned contributions of soft money to nation






36. 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.






37. A system - until modified and reformed in the 1970s - that automatically resulted in the selection as committee chair of those members of the majority party in Congress who had the longest continuous service on a committee.






38. A system in which national and state governments are competitors with distinct powers. This system was prominent in the US from the during the 19th century until 1937.






39. A vote in the House of Representatives in which the position of each member is noted and published in the Congressional Record.






40. 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






41. Which committee assignments would confer the most power and influence on members of the Senate?






42. Guarantees the right to bare arms.






43. This group of voters historically supported Republicans - a party founded on an anti-slavery platform. During the 1930's they began supporting the New Deal policies of the Democratic party.






44. Powers of government that the national government may exercise simply because it exists as a government - such as the right to conduct foreign relations.






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






46. The responsibility of the President to appoint federal judges when vacancies occur on the bench is referred to as






47. The total amount of money that the United States owes to its creditors.






48. In states using primaries - the most common form of primary election is the ___________ primary.






49. According to the Constitution - the electors in the Electoral College shall be appointed in a manner to be determined by the






50. The Immigration Act of 1965 abolished the practice of _______________ allowing more diversity among immigrants.