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. Executive office responsible for helping the President write the federal budget and monitoring federal spending.






2. A course of action decided upon by a government






3. During the 1800's and early 1900's - some state and local party committees became ________________ dominating party activities. Committee members would promise new recruits money - jobs - and other benefits for joining and voting the straight party t






4. 1925 Supreme Court case overturned Baron v. Baltimore and applied the Bill of Rights to states.






5. The most important committees - always assembled and delegated with the responsibility of handling all bills under their concern. Includes the Ways and Means - Appropriations - Budget - Rules and Agriculture Committees.






6. Units of government under the president - within the executive branch - that are not part of a cabinet department.






7. 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.






8. 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.






9. 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.






10. Private groups that attempt to influence the government to respond to the shared attitudes of their members.






11. Infamous 1735 English case established the precedent for Freedom of the Press in the US.






12. The party-column ballot - or Indiana ballot - encourages _______________.






13. Procedure typically requiring 3/5 vote of the entire Senate to end a filibuster.






14. This term refers to the gain in the polls that a candidate often enjoys after a national convention






15. 3 person executive panel responsible for helping the President develop an economic plan for the nation.






16. Included are Agriculture - Nutrition - and Forestry; Appropriations; Armed Services; Banking - Housing and Urban Affairs; Commerce - Science and Transportation; Energy and Natural Resources; Environment and Public Works; Finance; Health - Education -






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






18. An extraordinary writ commanding an official to perform a ministerial act that the law recognizes as an absolute duty and not a matter for the official's discretion






19. An economic philosophy that advocates both tax and budget cuts to increase incentives to produce in order to expand the total supply of the nation's goods and services.






20. The demands of and supports for a political system






21. There is an _____________ relationship between Presidential approval ratings and unemployment.






22. Largest interest group in the US.






23. The expression of attitudes about government and politics.






24. Prompted by FDR's 4th election to the Presidency - the 22nd Amendment limited the number of Presidential terms to _____ terms.






25. In which case did the Supreme Court rule that the concept of privacy included the right to a legal abortion?






26. Tips the balance between two leading candidates by attracting a minority of voters who otherwise might have voted for one of the leading candidates.






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






28. A system in which the power to govern is shared between national and state governments






29. 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






30. The doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group






31. Presides over any impeachment trial.






32. A power of the president to kill a bill by taking no action (if Congress adjourns during the 10-day period after the president receives the bill). Some court rulings have suggested that a president may exercise a pocket veto only when Congress adjour






33. A meeting of party leaders to select candidates - elect convention delegates - etc






34. First Roman Catholic elected President.






35. 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.






36. During the period from 1976 to 1824 - This party was lead by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. They wanted a stronger national government that would rectify the pitfalls of the Articles of Confederation. Their supporters held a stronghold in New






37. Concept of the British statesman Edmund Burke that legislators should act according to their own consciences.






38. In the 1990 case OR State Employment Division v. Smith 1990 - the Supreme court allowed the state to fire employees who use peyote during native American religious ceremonies because it is in violation of drug laws. In this case - which clause of the






39. A form of city government under which a council - usually elected on a nonpartisan ticket - hires a professional city manager - who runs the city government and has power to hire and fire officials.






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






41. As part of the negotiations concerning the Constitution - the South fought for and won an agreement forbidding the imposition of _______________.






42. The federal department that administers programs that provide services to farmers (including research and soil conservation and efforts to stabilize the farming economy)






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






44. What principle - contained in the Fourth Amendment - protects a citizen from unwarranted search and seizure?






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






46. In 1992 - the television networks agreed not to release these until a majority of polling places had closed in each state






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






48. Legislative branch incorporating two houses.






49. Plan that proposed bicameral legislature where states were to have representation based on size in both houses.






50. The European political philosophers whose writings influenced the concepts of liberty and government contained in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution belonged to the intellectual and cultural movement known as